35 Ways Jess and Becker Got Together
by DrawnToDarkness
Summary: A series of one-shots detailing the ways the Captain and the Field Co-Ordinator got together... Jess/Becker (obviously!)
1. The one with the self-defense (v1)

_The 35 Ways Jess and Becker got together... I've got all of the ways planned but, as I'm trying to motivate myself to write the next of my original novels, I'm limiting myself to one of these per chapter I write of that - so don't be surprised if there's a delay of a couple of weeks or so between parts as I'm struggling a little..! Without further ado, I give you the first in the series..._

 **The One with the Self-Defence Lessons (version 1)**

* * *

It wasn't unusual for Becker to get to the gym at the ARC early on a morning to find it was occupied. The gym – really the training rooms with some gym equipment strategically placed around the sparring mats and punching bags – was open to all ARC employees, a perk of the job some took advantage of.

Most of the time, it was the military personnel who used the facilities to their full advantage. Occasionally, someone else – Abby, or Matt, or once a group of scientists who treated getting fit as an experiment that needed further research before they could continue it – would be there as well.

The person Becker found using the treadmill on this particular morning wasn't a regular visitor to the ARC gym – he knew for a fact that Jess was a member of a private gym a few blocks away from her flat and that she regularly attended it with friends she knew from outside of the ARC and went for regular runs in the local park.

(He knew because he'd overheard her talking about it with Emily, not because he'd been keeping tabs on her. And he hadn't, of course, thought it was endearing how enthusiastic she'd been about the socialising aspect of keeping fit because she rarely got to see her non-work colleague friends due to the long hours she put in. And he certainly hadn't been amused at the story she'd told of how her and one of those friends had been banned from attending a particular instructor's yoga class because they'd proved too much of a distraction with their whispered conversations and not-so-quiet giggles.)

Becker could count on one hand the times he'd personally seen Jess use the ARC facilities – and both of those times had been because it was horrendously could outside and she had wanted to run without slipping on the ice outside. Since Spring had arrived and there'd been no snow or ice for weeks – _finally_ – he knew that wasn't the reason this time.

After realising that he'd been watching her from just inside the doorway for a few minutes, Becker pulled himself together and made his way to the punching bags. He ignored the heat in his cheeks and tried to ignore the sound of her feet hitting the treadmill in an even rhythm, concentrating instead on wrapping his hands in preparation for his morning workout.

In no time at all, he was fully engrossed in the task. Settling into a rhythm of his own that was both soothing and familiar, the burn in his arms and shoulders as he struck the heavy bag was a welcome sensation. So caught up in it, it took him several minutes to realise the gym had fallen silent around him and Jess was no longer working at the treadmill but was instead watching him, waiting patiently for him to finish.

Catching the bag and steadying it, Becker turned to her after a moment. He arched an eyebrow but took the towel she silently handed him, using it to wipe his face before slinging it over his shoulder. He waited for her to speak, feeling his discomfort and concern grow the longer she was silent.

Jess Parker was rarely silent, or at least so still with it. Just as she rarely looked at him – looked past him – with such a conflicted expression on her face.

"Everything okay, Jess?" Try as he might to sound casual, Becker knew the concern growing inside him was audible in his voice.

She bit her lip and then shook her head, unable to fully meet his gaze. "I know you're really busy and everything so I'm not expecting it to be you but do you know of anyone who'd be able to spend some time teaching me self-defence? I've had some basic lessons so I'm not a complete novice, and ordinarily I'd ask Abby but she's busy with the wedding plans when she's not working so I—"

"Jess. Stop. Breathe." Interrupting her was as much for his benefit as it was to actually make her pause and draw in a breath. It'd been a long time since he'd been subjected to a nervous, never-ending stream of babble from the Field Co-ordinator and Becker found he needed a minute to digest it. When he had, his eyes narrowed and he took a step towards her. "Self-defence lessons?" Why would she need... "Has someone been bothering you, Jess?"

"No. Well, yes. Kind of. But that's not why... I was having lessons before and now I'm not and I really want to continue." She sounded unsure and flustered, and still couldn't meet his gaze. Her shoulders slumped and she stared at the punching bag, a suspicious sheen to her eyes.

Making a decision and not giving himself time to consider whether he'd regret it later, Becker closed the gap between them and put his hand on her arm. "Come on. It'll start getting busy in here soon."

Twenty minutes later, both showered and changed ready for their shifts, which weren't due to start for another half an hour, Becker ushered Jess into his rarely used office attached to the armoury. He made her a cup of coffee just the way she liked it and pulled his chair around the desk so he could sit beside her.

"Tell me what happened." His voice was soft but there was an edge of authority in it.

Falteringly, Jess did. The gym she went to had been taken over by new managers. Things had been fine at first – yes, they'd upped the prices but that'd been okay. Then the old instructors had left, one by one, and new staff – mostly men – had been brought in.

"And these blokes are harassing you?" Becker prompted when she lapsed into silence. "Jessica?"

"They were," Jess admitted quietly. "They were a bit... sleazy. They're not anymore. We – my friends and I – we've all cancelled our membership now, hence why I'm here. Katie and Lou cancelled a few weeks ago, but Debbie and me decided to keep going until last week. We were at one of the classes – self-defence – and the new instructor decided that instead of actually teaching anything, he'd use it as an excuse to grope us. He regretted it." A small, humourless smile tugged at the corners of her mouth but didn't reach her eyes. "I'm pretty sure he was walking funny for a few days but it was the final straw and now..." She shrugged her shoulders. "The others have decided to take a break for a while, anyway, so it's just me and I can use the equipment here and go for my runs but I still need a replacement for the classes..."

"And you really want to continue the self-defence lessons?" He was watching her closely, which was why he caught sight of the shame that flittered across her face. "You know it wasn't your fault. Whatever that idiot did... You couldn't have done anything to stop him."

"I know." Even as she tried to smile, her eyes filled with tears again. "And I fought him off – he was surprised about that. But it got me thinking... I go running by myself a couple of times a week. I like to think I can look after myself but can I really? For a second in the gym, I froze. I was expecting him to attack me and I still froze up. What would I do if I wasn't expecting it? I need to know how to defend myself if I need to and I'm not confident that I know enough yet."

"Anyone would freeze in that situation. You were expecting him to attack you or show you how to fight off an attack, not for him to... do what he did." Becker resisted the urge to clench his fists, knowing his anger wasn't what Jess needed. "I'd be happy to give you some pointers. When do you want to start?"

"You personally?" She bit her lip but looked up at him, her gaze finally meeting his. "I wasn't expecting... You don't need to give up your time, Becker, I just thought there might be someone you could recommend or –"

"Jessica." Like hell was he letting anyone else teach her. As much as he trusted the capabilities of the men and women under his command, he took a personal interest in the safety and well-being of the people at the ARC and Jess... Well, Jess was at the top of that list. "When do you want to start?"

A smile finally lit up her face, relieved and shy all at the same time. "As soon as possible! Thank you, Becker. Really!"

* * *

They started the lessons within the week. Deciding to take advantage of the quiet times – and of Becker's management of the training schedules for his soldiers – they ended up staying after hours two nights a week.

Becker was impressed by what she was already capable of and told her so, earning a pretty blush and a pleased smile. She was a good student, enthusiastic and eager to learn. She listened intently to his instructions and the reasoning behind them, asked questions and even started making suggestions of her own once she got more confident in her abilities.

Before too long, they were able to spar – not quite as equals but not quite as trainer and trainee. Jess got the better of him sometimes and was evidently thrilled about it. And while Becker found himself enjoying the challenge, it was clear to him that she'd done some extra research in addition to their sessions – something she vehemently denied even after he caught her hurriedly closing down a YouTube video demonstration on more than one occasion.

It wasn't just the training that they both enjoyed; it was the company. Before, it'd been rare for them to spend much time together without the rest of the team around as unlikely chaperones. During their lessons, Jess and Becker got to talk about things they wouldn't ordinarily talk about in front of the others – including but not limited to their childhoods and families.

They looked forward to the time they got to spend together and it didn't take long before they ended up spending time together outside of the gym, too. It started with Becker joining Jess on a run once a week, on whichever day they got off, and that then turned into them having a coffee afterwards, which turned into brunch, which turned into spending most of the morning together and then they found themselves making regular plans to meet up and do something together on their day off. Whether it was a museum or gallery Jess had wanted to visit, or a long walk Becker had wanted to do, they found themselves enjoying each other's company more and more.

"You're cheating," Becker managed after Jess managed to kick his feet out from under him, sending him to the floor before following to pin him down. He let his head fall back against the mat with a thud, closing his eyes against the triumphant smile on her face as he willed other parts of his body not to respond to the weight of her on top of him. "I don't know how, but you're definitely cheating."

Jess's laugh was delighted, and a sound he had grown very fond of. She moved off him but didn't go very far, lying on the mat beside him as she tried to catch her breath. "I'm not cheating, Captain. You're just getting rusty in your old age."

"Old...?" He cracked one eye open and turned his head to look at her. Sure enough, she was facing him, a bright, blinding smile on her face. "I'm not _old_."

"Then what's your excuse?" She teased, turning on her side and propping herself up with an elbow. "Action Man taken down by a _girl_. What would your men say?"

"My men would probably laugh until I sic you on them and they realise you've had a brilliant teacher," Becker countered, rolling on his side to face her. "As for my excuse... Well, I've taught you everything I know. Almost everything."

"Just almost?" Jess arched an eyebrow and tried to look serious. Unfortunately for her, she failed to keep her lips from twitching. "Are you holding out on me?"

"Nope," he said, popping the 'p' before smirking at her.

She shook her head and tried to scowl but her laughter broke free instead. Settling on her back again, she sighed contentedly. "Thank you for doing this."

"For teaching you how to best me?" Becker grinned wryly. "I'd say you're welcome but I'm not sure that's true."

"No. Well, yes." She smiled at the ceiling. "This is fun."

"I'm glad you enjoy kicking my arse."

Jess laughed outright. "That's part of the fun, yes, but it's not just that." She turned her head again to look at him, seeing him propped up on his elbow beside her. "You know you don't have to do this anymore, right? If you've got other things you'd rather be doing, or people you'd rather be seeing instead of spending your evenings with me... It's okay for you to say so."

"Jessica." Feeling bold, he reached out and touched her cheek under the guise of pushing a strand of hair back from her face. "If I didn't want to spend time with you, I wouldn't. It's not like you need the lessons any more anyway."

"If I don't need the lessons, why are we still doing this? Other than the fact I get a kick out of it," she added with a small, almost shy smile that faded under the intensity of his gaze. "Becker?"

Closing the gap between them slowly, giving her plenty of time to pull back, he let his lips brush against hers lightly. When she made no attempt at pushing him away and instead sighed against his lips, her eyes closing, Becker took it as his cue to continue and increased the pressure. Lifting her hand, Jess let her fingers tangle with the hair at the nape of his neck and kissed him back.

After a long moment, the pair pulled away, panting slightly once again but for an entirely different reason.

"Well." Jess smiled up at him, her cheeks flushed. "So that's what you've been holding back."

"That's part of it." Grinning right back at her and feeling like a fool but not caring about it, Becker pushed himself up and got to his feet. He held out a hand for her, tugging her up with him when she took it willingly. "What do you say to getting out of here and having dinner tonight? Chinese?"

Jess's smile grew wider. "I'd say that sounds like a very good idea. Your place or mine?" At the look on his face, she dissolved into laughter. "Sorry, sorry. I've always wanted to say that."

He rolled his eyes at her but couldn't help but return her smile with a grin of his own.

* * *

End.


	2. The one with the set up

_Another chapter written, another one-shot to celebrate! (Though I did have to go back and change a whole scene where I'd referred to my novel's heroine as 'Jess' instead of her actual name... Whoops!)_

 **The one with the set up (version 1)**

* * *

In hindsight, they should have realised something was going on. Although it wasn't rare for the team to get together when anomalies, creature incursions and end-of-the-world emergencies allowed, it was usually done with a little less whispering, conspiring and smirking.

Jess first grew suspicious when she walked into the break room and Emily and Abby stopped their whispered conversation. The smiles on their faces were overly bright and tinged with guilt. When she narrowed her eyes at them suspiciously, Abby assured her they were talking about 'wedding things' – her default conversation subject as her impending nuptials got closer and closer.

Becker first grew suspicious when he noticed Connor wouldn't stop grinning. Oh, it wasn't unusual for Connor to walk around with a dopey grin on his face, especially as they counted down the days, but what was unusual was that the grin, Becker realised, was aimed at him. And that was... weird.

Very weird.

Still, neither of them twigged as to what was exactly going on until they found themselves alone in a restaurant with a table set for two instead of the six they'd been expecting.

Fortunately, they'd arrived together – though that wasn't a coincidence, either. Jess had been planning to get a lift with Abby and Connor, while Becker had offered to give Matt and Emily a ride... And then the two couples had suddenly 'remembered' things they had to do before their arranged dinner so said they'd make their own way there.

It hadn't made sense for them both to drive – the seed planted by Matt and Emily respectively – so when Becker had offered, thinking it to be his idea, Jess had accepted, thinking that it was a sensible plan.

And then they got to the restaurant.

It was a new place – Chinese - neither of them had tried before. Abby, unsurprisingly in hindsight, had mentioned hearing about it and Emily had jumped on the idea, casually reminding Jess that Chinese food was amongst her favourite. Matt had taken the opportunity to rope Becker into the conversation, commenting that the Captain was partial to it, too, and Connor had been the one to oh-so-innocently suggest that they should all go out on night.

Looking back, it was clear it'd been a set up from the start – and something their teammates had been planning for a while.

After being shown to their table and realising – not with a small amount of awkwardness – what had happened, Becker had decided what the hell and had held Jess's chair out for her. The embarrassment on her face had given way to surprise, which had in turn given way to a shy smile as she blushed and sat down.

Half an hour later, and the awkwardness was gone, gradually easing into a relaxed and companionable atmosphere. They weren't strangers; it wasn't a first date where they weren't sure if they had anything in common. It was two people, who cared about each other, sitting down to a lovely meal, having an intelligent conversation and – admittedly – maybe planning a little bit of revenge here and there.

"It's not going to be easy," Jess thought aloud after taking another sip from her glass – a soft drink, since he was the designated driver and she wasn't going to drink on her own. "They're both already couples so it's not like we can do something similar to get back at them."

Leaning back in his chair since they were between courses, Becker noted the way she couldn't _quite_ meet his gaze as she used the word 'couple'. "There is something we could do," he started slowly, playing the idea over in his mind and willing himself to have the confidence to go through with it.

"Oh?" She looked at him, an eyebrow raised quizzically. "What do you have in mind?"

"Play them at their own game." He smirked a little at the confusion on her face. "We know what they were intending to achieve tonight."

Jess's eyes narrowed for a moment and then she blushed again, looking away. "If you're going to suggest we pretend it's worked, please don't," she said quietly.

It was his turn to be confused for a moment until realisation dawned. "No, no. I'm not suggesting we fake that bit." He reached out for her hand, letting his own rest of hers until she glanced at him, her expression wary. Squeezing her fingers, he let his hand linger. "What if we let them believe it backfired?"

"We let them think we're not talking because of it?" Her gaze flickered down to his hand where it still covered hers.

"It'd make them think twice about playing games with people," he pointed out with a shrug.

"We could just tell them that it didn't work and not to do it again," Jess suggested. "Though knowing Abby, I don't know if that would be enough of a deterrent. She doesn't mean anything bad by it, you know. She's just happy with Connor and the wedding and wants everyone else to be happy, too."

"And she knows we'd be happier together than we are apart."

Her cheeks flamed at his words. "Well, she thinks it." She glanced at him briefly before looking away again.

"Jess." He squeezed her hand again. "I don't disagree with her."

Her gaze shot to his. "You don't?"

"No." It was his turn to feel his cheeks grow hot. "I hate the thought of them all being so smug when they realise this worked – if you want it to, that is."

"I do. I mean, yes. Obviously." She rolled her eyes at herself and he smiled at the return of the Jess he knew and yes, had fallen in love with. "So you're suggesting... we don't let them know their plan worked? But it has?"

"It has." He pulled his hand away with a great deal of reluctance when their waiter returned with their next course. He waited until the server was gone before resuming their conversation, his expression serious. "I'm sorry it took this long, Jess. I'm sorry it took their interference for me to say something."

Jess beamed at him, the bright smile he'd never seen bestowed on anyone else. "That doesn't matter now. But remind me to thank them later, yeah? After we've tortured them for a while, of course."

Becker grinned back at her, loving the evil glint that appeared in her eyes. "Why don't we discuss it in more detail tomorrow? Let me take you out for lunch, for a meal someone else hasn't had to arrange."

"It's a date." She smiled again, her cheeks flushed but in pleasure, not embarrassment. They clinked their water glasses and went back to their meal and their conversation, each silently grateful to their absent friends.

* * *

End.

 _(So, so hard to write this one! ARGH! Have I lost my Jecker touch?! Eep!)_


	3. The one with the blind date

**The One with the Blind Date**

* * *

Call it coincidence, call it fate. When Becker had overheard Jess lamenting about the blind date her sister-in-law was insisting she set up for her, he hadn't been happy about it. He wasn't sure if his unhappiness stemmed from the idea of _Jess_ on a date with someone he hadn't a chance to vet, if it was because she was on a date with someone who wasn't him, or if it was because the conversation reminded him of the blind date his own meddling sister had arranged for him.

Ruefully, he added a 'lack of social life that's concerning to family members' to the mental list of things he and Jess had in common, and went about his daily routine.

He had _not_ spent the day thinking more about Jess's impending date than he had his own. (Jess Parker, he tried to convince himself without much success, did not consume a solid 50% of his thoughts. Maybe 30%. At a push. Right.)

It was because he was deliberately trying not to think about her and to focus instead on what his date was saying that it took him a few minutes longer than it should have done to realise that the voice of the woman seated at the table behind him was familiar not because he had Jess on his mind but because she was actually _there._

Behind him.

Talking, though not a lot.

Mentally apologising to his own date – Lauren, Laurie? – even though she seemed perfectly happy to keep the conversation flowing by talking about everything and anything related to herself, Becker tuned in to the equally one-sided conversation taking place behind him.

Five minutes into the conversation, his blood pressure was steadily on the rise.

The man was an idiot! A complete imbecile! One minute he was talking about his high-flying (boring and overpaid in Becker's opinion) job, and the next he was telling Jess that while she wasn't quite what _he'd_ expected, he was sure _she_ could work on it.

Glancing across at the bar, Becker realised he could see what was happening at Jess's table in the mirrored wall – not that that helped matters. He narrowed his eyes as he watched the idiot slide his hand under the table towards Jess's leg, only for her to deliberately shift away from him. Undeterred or not taking the hint, the bloke tried again after a few minutes.

"Hilary?" His date – Laura? – prompted, the vaguely put out expression on her face telling him that she was beginning to notice his lack of uninterrupted attention. "Is everything okay?"

"Fine." He gave her a quick smile but wasn't all that impressed when she pouted at him and fluttered her – he suspected false – eyelashes.

She _was_ gorgeous, he told himself. Long blond hair, natural-looking but probably fake tan, blue eyes that were bright (but somehow not as bright as a certain someone else's...) A working model, she had a body that wouldn't be out of place in any one of the popular men's magazines she'd already name-dropped into the conversation...

... But she did nothing for him.

She _should_ , but the only woman occupying his thoughts was the one currently excusing herself from the table behind him.

"I'm sorry," he apologised, purposely _not_ saying his date's name. "I'll be right back."

Laura (Laurel?) didn't look pleased for a moment but, on catching the eye of a fellow diner a few tables away who was more forthcoming with the appreciative glances, preened slightly and gave a flirtatious smile not meant only for Becker. "Of course. Shall I order more wine?"

Given he'd barely touched his glass in the time she'd finished hers, Becker didn't think it was the best idea she'd ever had but agreed so he could continue in his temporary escape. "Why not?"

She'd have ordered anyway, he reasoned, hurrying off in the direction Jess had gone and hoping he wasn't going to look like a creepy stalker as he waited for her outside of the ladies room. When Jess emerged, it was with a resigned expression that cleared into genuine surprise – maybe even pleasure – when she saw him.

"Becker!" Her smile was sweet and genuine and had more of an effect on him than all of his date's flirtatious, sultry looks combined. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, nothing much. Suffering the humiliation of the world's worst blind date, I think." He aimed for casual, and succeeded in making her laugh.

"You, too?" Her smile turned into a look of commiseration. "I think I could beat you there, though. Does your date keep trying to cop a feel in between telling you you're not his usual type but he supposes you'll do? Or she, I mean, in your case."

It was the most he'd heard her say all night, which pleased him. The self-depreciating way in which she said it did not.

"Your date is an idiot." It came out with a little more contempt than he'd intended, and Jess's eyes widened slightly. "He is," Becker added, shrugging even as he felt his cheeks begin to grow warm.

"I'd have to agree with you," she said softly, with a small smile, and the moment passed. "So, go on, how does your date compare? What makes her so terrible?"

Becker opened his mouth to answer, and then hesitated. The flush returned. "It might not be her who's terrible," he admitted, lowering his voice as he continued. "I can't actually remember her name."

Jess laughed after a short pause. She shook her head, biting her lip to control her mirth. "Becker! That _is_ terrible! The poor girl, she'll be so disappointed!"

Thinking about the woman he'd left at his table and the thirty minute conversation she'd had with herself about herself, Becker didn't think she'd be too upset. "To be honest, I don't think she'll mind. I'm surprised she actually remembered _my_ name, since all she's done so far tonight is talk about herself and her future aspirations in the modelling world... What? What did I say?"

Jess's eyes had widened again, and it was her turn to blush. "You're sitting at a table by the window, aren't you? With the woman who auditioned for Britain's Top Model?"

"Did she?" Becker was drawing a blank but realised that if he could hear Jess's one-sided conversation, it stood to reason that she could've heard his. "I must've missed that part."

Instead of smiling or rolling her eyes at him, Jess looked strangely downcast for a moment and could no longer meet his gaze. "I doubt anyone would blame you for that. I should get back. Callum is... probably not missing me, to be honest, but anyway." She flashed him a smile he knew wasn't real and went to move passed him.

He wasn't sure what possessed him to block the way, or to take hold of her arm so she couldn't skirt around hm. Or to suggest...

"Why don't we ditch them? Not... Not leave without telling them, obviously, but make up an excuse and get out of here? There's a great little Chinese place not too far from here if you haven't eaten yet, or we could go for Italian...?"

He was aware he was rambling, and he was just as aware that it was usually Jess who did that in their relationship. He saw the hope in her eyes just as clearly as he saw the uncertainty.

"Don't you want to stick around and see if you can remember your date's name?" She gazed at him curiously. "I mean, she's a _model_ , Becker, no one would blame you for getting a bit tongue-tied but seriously, if you're worried you're not going to be able to complete with her male counterparts or anything crazy like that, you've got no reason to be."

Becker blinked, and stared at her. "You think that's why I can't remember her name? Because I'm dumbstruck by her?"

"Models are gorgeous by nature," she shrugged a shoulder.

"She's not my type," he blurted out, hurriedly so he didn't say the other thing that popped into his mind which was 'so are you'.

She arched an eyebrow sceptically. "Model's aren't your type?"

"Nope." He was beginning to think his type had narrowed itself down to the woman in front of him. "So, what do you say? Set our phones to go off in five minutes and pretend there's an emergency at work?"

"Don't jinx it," Jess warned, but she was beginning to smile again. "Meet you just outside the front door?"

Happy and relieved, Becker grinned at her. "It's a date."

They both flushed at his words but neither corrected them.

Parting ways, Becker gave Jess a thirty second lead back to their respective tables. Four minutes later, Jess's phone beeped to signal a message – or so it seemed – and she excused herself, full of apologies.

Not quite a minute after she'd hurried out of the restaurant – deftly avoiding a kiss from her hapless date – Becker's own phone went off and he made his excuses.

He would have felt worse about it had he not noticed the look of blatant interest exchanged by his date and Jess's, and allowed himself a grin as he joined the guilty party waiting for him outside.

Later, sitting next to Jess as they flirted and teased their way through a main course featuring noodles and prawn crackers, Becker thought that it hadn't been a bad night at all. From worst blind date to best first date... Not a bad result at all.

* * *

End


	4. The one with the paperwork

The One with the Paperwork

* * *

The annual budget review was very unpopular with all of the department heads. Unfortunately, it was a necessary evil and one Jess couldn't do for them, no matter how much easier it would be – for all concerned – if she did.

(She had tried, once. Lester had not been happy – mostly because it meant she wasn't around to help him with his side of the reports – and had sent out a strongly worded memo to all of the department heads telling them in his rather blunt manner to do it himself.)

She managed to get away with _helping_ her fellow workers, which often meant staying late or working early every day for a week or three leading up to the review deadline.

Not that _that_ was anything out of the ordinary. She'd heard people say – good naturedly, most of the time – that she needed to get a life and Jess was inclined to agree... Just doing so was harder than it seemed.

Her efforts – to help with paperwork, not to get a social life – didn't go unnoticed or unappreciated. She knew the department heads were grateful for her help just as she knew Lester was pleased it meant he was able to submit his final review in time with all of the necessary reports enclosed – even if her boss never actually came out and acknowledged her efforts openly.

Having helped almost everyone else, it was the turn of the Head of Security to benefit from her organisational skills and admin expertise. Since he was responsible for the entire military contingent, Becker had a lot of information to review and submit in his annual report to Lester.

The Captain had to account for every piece of weaponry ordered – every EMD, every battery pack, every knife, and gun and round of bullets, (even though the latter were discouraged from being used in most instances.)

He had a budget and had to account for every penny of it that had been spent, which was no easy task for someone who spent much of his time keeping people safe from dinosaurs and other prehistoric (and occasionally future) creature, and training those under his command to do the same.

Armed with folders, full of sheets of paper lined with enough numbers to make her head spin, and her trusty laptop, Jess made her way to the armoury after handing over control of the ADD to the nightshift – one of the five soldiers she'd trained to man it in her absence.

Becker was waiting for her, as she knew he would be. He valued punctuality as much as she did, which was a bonus. He grinned when he saw her, and moved towards her to take some of the files she was carrying.

"You should have asked me to help you," he chided her without rancour. "What is all of this, anyway?"

"Approved requisition reports from the armoury over the last twelve months, along with records of every replacement request for an EMD, battery pack, etc, etc. authorised by you for the same period." She felt her cheeks flush but shrugged as he stared at her. "I thought after last year, it'd be easier to keep track on an ongoing basis rather than wait till now and panic."

"You've been preparing for this all year?"

"I just thought it'd be easier to check your figures if we had some idea of where to start." She shrugged again as if it was no big deal – and as if the admiring expression on his face wasn't making her melt inside. "It was just an idea."

"A brilliant one, as usual." He led the way to his office, a small windowless room attached to the armoury that was easily missed by people who didn't know it was there and pushed the ajar door open with his foot, stepping back to let her enter first.

While he didn't use the office often, preferring to work at a bench in the armoury or at the desk put aside for him in Operations not far from her own desk, Jess could appreciate that Becker kept the room assigned to him neat and tidy, organised and efficient... even if the lone plant on one of the shelves looked like it was in dire need of a drink. Making a mental note to take care of it later, she set her laptop down on the desk and sat in one of the two chairs in the room, noting that he'd pulled them both around to the same side already.

Becker set the files on the desk beside a pile of paperwork he'd prepared himself and shut the door before joining her. He stared at the pieces of paper and cardboard files, a sigh escaping him even as Jess booted up the laptop.

"Where do you think we should start?" He wondered aloud, asking himself just as much as her.

Jess smiled, motioned to the papers he'd piled neatly on his desk. "Start at the top, and we'll work our way through it all. Eventually."

* * *

'Eventually' took most of the evening, and even then they weren't done. Neither had prepared for being there so late so neither had anything with them to eat when Becker's stomach growled some time later, reminding them both that it was way past dinner time.

Since they didn't have anything to eat – and they both had to report for duty bright and early the following morning – the duo decided to call it a night and made plans to finish the job the following evening after work.

After apologising to Jess for what felt like the hundredth time for keeping her busy all evening – and receiving another bright 'don't worry' about it and accompanying smile – Becker decided he'd make it up to her somehow.

Driving home that night, he began to formulate a plan...

* * *

The next evening, after finishing her shift, Jess reported to the armoury as planned. It was empty when she got there, which wasn't surprising; the teams on nightshift liked to play poker in one of the break rooms or spar with one another in the gym.

Expecting Becker to either be in his office waiting – or deciding he might have gone to get a drink or something – Jess made her way to the small room, opening the door and letting herself in.

And stopped, almost mid-step, on entering the room.

The desk had been moved to the side, the chairs next to it. A picnic blanket with cushions and pillows took its place in the middle of the room, with a picnic basket, glasses and plates joining her laptop and the folders they'd yet to go through on it.

It looked... almost... romantic?

"I hope you don't mind," Becker murmured from behind her, his voice making her jump a little. "Sorry." He flashed a quick, apologetic grin when she turned to look at him. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"You didn't. Well, you did." Rolling her eyes self-depreciatingly, Jess blushed. "You didn't need to go to any trouble," she said after a short pause, her smile verging on shy.

"It wasn't any trouble." He shrugged a shoulder, looking sheepish. "I just thought we could, maybe, eat while we work? You don't eat enough anyway," he added, arching an eyebrow at her.

Jess laughed and shook her head, making her way to the picnic blanket. She sat down as gracefully as she could without allowing the short skirt of her dress to rise too far and claimed a couple of the cushions to make herself comfortable. Becker joined her after a moment, and they quickly got to work, silently agreeing that their dinner could work until the bulk of the work was done.

They opened the picnic basket midway through, sharing the sandwiches, fruit and crisps Becker had provided. He let her have the small bar of chocolate he'd packed, though took a square of it when she insisted. They drank the flavoured sparkling water he'd bought in place of wine and kept up a steady stream of conversation as they worked, teasing and chatting about everything and nothing in particular.

Finally, the report was done and Jess emailed it to Lester with a satisfied sigh as Becker topped up their plastic cups.

"Here's to you," he murmured, handing her her cup and holding his own to 'clink' against it. "Thank you, Jess. Without you, I'd be here for the next week trying to sort through this stuff, and I know the same can be said about most of the others."

Jess blushed prettily. "I wouldn't say that but you're welcome. Even though you did do half of it. Don't sell yourself short, Captain."

He grinned at her use of his title and took a sip from his cup, watching as she drank from hers before setting it aside and started to pack up. Glancing at his watch, he saw it wasn't as late as he'd expected. He felt his pulse kick up a notch in anticipation and licked his lips, the nervous gesture missed by Jess.

"Would you like to go for a drink?" He asked, knowing it sounded too quick to be anything but nervous. "It's not too late to make one of these a real glass of wine?"

Jess's hands stilled and she looked up at him, surprise momentarily crossing over her features. She looked torn between delighted and wary, which confused him until she spoke. "You don't have to, you know. This is thanks enough, Becker. I really enjoyed the picnic."

"That's not... That's not why I'm asking." He forced himself to hold her gaze even though he'd rather look away and cleared his throat nervously. "I meant... Will you go out for a drink with me? As in a date?"

He mumbled the last part but Jess heard it clearly. She started to smile but bit her lip in an attempt at controlling it. "I'd love to," she said just as quietly, catching his eye when he looked up in surprise. "If you mean it?"

"I mean it." He grinned then, a warm, genuine grin she didn't see often enough. "Just leave everything as it is. I'll sort it in the morning."

Needing no further encouragement than that, Jess accepted the hand he held out to her to help her to her feet, feeling herself flush at the tingles the simple touch created. Glancing up at him, she was pleased to see she didn't seem to be the only one affected.

They gathered the items they needed – his jacket, her handbag – and made their way out of the ARC, smiling like idiots but neither caring at all.

* * *

End


	5. The one with the accidental dating

**The One With the Accidental Dating**

* * *

They were spending more and more time together, a natural by product of being the only two people in their social group who weren't part of a couple.

While they were both happy for their friends, the lovely-dovey coupley-ness of it all could get a bit much at times. Even Matt and Emily, while far more restrained with the PDA's than Abby and Connor, could often be caught exchanging sappy smiles or knowing looks that were somehow intimate enough to be uncomfortable when witnessed by someone else.

At lunch times, Jess and Becker would escape to one of the lesser used break rooms, or sometimes Becker's office, to eat and chat without the awkwardness that being around the two couples could bring.

In briefings and on their team nights out or drinks after work, they'd purposely sit next to one another, a united front against the love struck couples that Lester groused about on a regular basis.

Sometimes, particularly after the bad days when something had gone wrong or an incursion had been particularly hard to deal with, they'd make a point of doing something nice together, something to remind themselves why they did what they did.

Pre-coupling up, the team would spend time together after those days. Whether it was a movie night at someone's flat, an extended drinking session at their local pub, a meal out or sometimes something more active like tenpin bowling, they usually got each other through those times.

Post-coupling, Jess and Becker found their teammates branched off to spend time alone with their other halves, and while they couldn't and didn't blame them for that, they did still need the distraction themselves to often gravitated towards each other.

Neither Jess nor Becker really realised what they were doing. It wasn't until Lester made a casual, throw away comment that they realised how their relationship might appear to an outsider...

"I must commend you both," Lester said dryly, as the two were the last to leave a tediously long meeting at the end of an equally long day with all of the department heads.

"Commend us, Sir?" Becker glanced at Jess, and saw she looked just as puzzled as he felt.

"On keeping this," Lester gestured between them vaguely, "from affecting your professionalism. It's nice to see a couple who can keep the public displays of affection and nauseating heart eyes to a minimum while in the workplace."

While Jess and Becker exchanged a look that was both embarrassed and surprised, their (surprisingly) well meaning boss continued as he left the room ahead of them.

"Good work, both of you. Do try to influence the Temples, won't you?" He walked out, oblivious to the potentially awkward moment he'd created between his two stunned employees.

Jess sat back down in the seat she'd so recently vacated, her mind whirling as colour flooded her cheeks. Likewise, Becker sat down in the chair nearest to him – one away from her, next to the seat he'd sat in for the actual briefing.

They had been dating, in a way, they realised simultaneously. Their evenings together, at her place or his, or at the local pub or cinema or sometimes at a restaurant one of them had read about and wanted to try... They'd sort of been dates, just without the nervous anticipation that came with dates – and the kissing that usually followed.

They'd been so busy trying not to intrude on the moments shared by the other couples on the team that they hadn't noticed they had almost become one themselves.

 _Almost._

And Jess... Jess didn't mind it one bit. She'd liked spending time with him, enjoyed getting to know more about him as a friend without getting flustered or tongue-tied because of the pressure that was automatically there when the word _dating_ was involved.

But... the question was... Did Becker feel the same way? She knew he liked her, knew he didn't object to spending time in her company. He certainly didn't find her repulsive, and that was something, wasn't it?

"Jess?"

She looked up at the sound of her name, blushing when she realised it probably wasn't the first time he'd said it. She cleared her throat and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear just to have something to do with her hands. "Yes?"

Becker smiled at her, the soft smile she'd been seeing more of recently but was only just noticing he usually reserved for when they were alone. "I asked if you were ready to go. The film starts at seven."

Her brow furrowing, Jess stared at him for a moment. "You still want to go?" Almost as soon as she'd asked, she wanted to take the question back. _Of course_ he'd want to go, wouldn't he? They'd made plan to go and see the new release _as friends_ and there was no reason Lester's mistaken conclusion should change that or make things awkward... though she suspected she'd managed that all on her own.

" _Jess_." She blinked at the sound of his voice being closer than it had been and was surprised to find him sitting in the chair next to hers, and that he'd turned it to face her. "Stop over thinking it," he told her quietly, an unmistakably tender expression on his face.

"I am. You're right." She tried to smile but wasn't convinced it worked. "Sorry. Lester just threw me for a minute. We can forget what he said and just carry on as we were before..."

Even as she said it, she found she didn't want to. She didn't want to be just friends, the two lone singletons amongst a group of couples. She didn't want their nights out to end with a shared smile and a casual 'I'll see you tomorrow'. She didn't want...

"Jessica." She looked at him again and the tender look was gone, replaced by one with decidedly more heat. Definitely not the kind of look one friend gave another. "The only reason I'm not kissing you right now is because Lester is watching and I don't want to disappoint him."

 _Oh._

"Oh."

They got up without another word, Jess's mind racing. He guided her from the room with a hand at the small of her back, and while the gesture was nothing new, the simple touch didn't feel as innocent as it once had.

Collecting their things from their lockers, they said their goodbyes to their oblivious teammates and walked to the car park, where Becker's truck awaited them. Still without a word, they got inside and Becker began to drive.

* * *

It was in the car park of the cinema that the silence was broken, surprisingly by Becker, who spoke before the nervous energy Jess was feeling could translate into equally nervous babbling.

"I'm glad Lester said what he did. And he's right, Jess. The only people we've been fooling are ourselves. Well, maybe the others, too, but that's because they're oblivious to everything but themselves at the moment." He said it with a rueful, almost nervous smile of his own. "I like spending time with you. I more than like it. I more than like you."

"I more than like you, too," Jess murmured softly when he lapsed into silence. "So what do we do now?"

He reached for her hand, entwining his fingers with hers as they smiled at one another. "We go on as we were before, with a few changes. We don't do anything at work to upset Lester, at least not that he can find out about," he added with a grin and a glint in his dark eyes that made her toes curl. "How does that sound?"

Jess smiled again. "That sounds perfect."

"Good." He hesitated for a moment, and then leaned in towards her. She met him halfway and they shared their first kiss, chaste but sweet with it.

Parting afterwards, they shared another, slightly sappier grin reminiscent of their loved up teammates, and got out of the car to being their first-but-not-really first date.

* * *

End.

 _So I've actually just hit the start of the 10th chapter of my novel after a surge of inspiration... Though it was time to take a break and revisit the lovely duo that is Jess & Becker! Hope you enjoyed it! x_


	6. The one with the film nights

**The one with the film nights**

* * *

Their film nights started as a way to introduce Matt and Emily to the films they'd missed out on thanks to their unusual upbringings in both the past and the future.

For the most part, they were quite enjoyable. Spending time with some of her favourite people, when no one's life was at risk of dinosaurs, prehistoric creatures or future nightmares... There wasn't a lot to complain about it, Jess knew.

Except when there was.

They each took it in turn to host the film nights, which was good. (And not just because it finally gave her a chance to see inside Becker's flat.) But though she was the consummate hostess, and quite enjoyed entertaining, Jess found she didn't relax as much when the team film nights took place at her flat as opposed to someone else's.

When someone else was hosting, Jess could make her excuses and leave before things got potentially awkward. When she was hosting it herself... Well, she couldn't exactly leave her own flat, could she?

And it wasn't every night that threatened to be uncomfortable. Just the ones that featured a certain sort of film... the kind of film Abby always seemed to insist on on nights when Jess was hosting.

Romance.

Now, as a genre, Jess loved it. And she thought it was equally important to educate Matt and Emily in the romance – and romantic comedy – genres as it was the sci-fi (Connor's choice), action flicks (Becker's choice), classics including the old fashioned black and whites (her choice.)

But why did the romances always happen to be chosen for the nights she hosted?

The nights she couldn't make her excuses and leave?

It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact the team was made up of two very definite couples... and two people who were very definitely _not_ in a relationship.

Even if one of them wanted to be.

And it sucked that that one was her.

Jess braced herself mentally as Abby eagerly announced what film she'd chosen – _Ghost_ – and bit her lip to keep back a sigh as her teammates claimed their usual seats. Abby and Connor over the three-seat sofa, spread out and taking up all of the room. Matt and Emily on the two-seater, a respectable distance between them but their clasped hands not-so-well hidden by a cushion.

That left the over-sized chair for herself and Becker.

Again.

Oh, it was big enough for two – just. If you didn't mind snuggling. And while she didn't mind the thought of snuggling, particularly not with a certain Captain... It was a different matter in reality.

And awkward, given the non-couple thing.

She glanced at Becker to find him staring at her.

Forcing a smile when she wanted to run away and hide, Jess shrugged a shoulder. "I'm happy sitting on the floor," she told him brightly. "Anyone want popcorn?"

Before he could argue – and he would – Jess made her way to the kitchen area. The problem with having an open plan flat, though, was that there was nowhere to hide. She was aware of the whispering that went on after she left the living room area, still felt Becker's gaze burning her back.

She sensed him approach rather than saw him, and braced herself for an awkward moment with some helpless babbling on her behalf.

"You can have the chair if you want," Becker told her, quietly enough not to be overhead by their no doubt eavesdropping teammates. "I'm quite happy to sit on the floor."

"No, don't be silly." She turned her head to give him a bright smile but quickly turned back to the task of getting the popcorn ready to go into the microwave. Looking at him for too long was a dangerous thing in Jess's experience. She could quite alarmingly lose minutes instead of seconds when she did that. "You're the guest. I'm fine on the floor, Becker. Really."

She heard him sigh but he didn't say anything so she continued her task, waiting for him to retreat.

Surprised when he didn't.

It wasn't until the popcorn was in the microwave, the sound of it turning on the plate and the kernels popping that Becker spoke again, probably so that the noise would be it even harder for Abby and Emily to listen to their conversation – no matter how hard they tried to.

"Have you seen the film before?" He asked, the question taking her by surprise.

So much so that Jess turned to face him again. "Who hasn't? Other than Matt and Emily, of course. When I was at uni, a couple of us would have regular film nights. Patrick Swayze films was one of the themes. Ghost, Dirty Dancing..." She shrugged a shoulder and told herself to take a deep breath to stop her babbling. "It's a classic."

"Would you mind not seeing it again? At least tonight?" Becker stared at her, his gaze intense.

Jess tore her own gaze away when she realised the popcorn wasn't popping as much and stopped the microwave in time to keep the snack from burning. "Do you want to watch something else?"

Was it her imagination, or did he take a deep breath...?"

"There's a new film out that's getting good reviews. I wondered... There's a showing tonight if you wanted to go?" He spoke quickly but quietly, his face otherwise impassive but Jess was enough of a Becker expert to spot the tips of his ears were turning red. "We could leave the others to it. Abby and Connor still have a key so they can lock up after themselves if you don't mind...?"

She didn't mind, not at all, but in her surprise she almost dropped the popcorn she'd removed from the microwave. Becker caught it deftly and set it on the bench beside the bowl she'd got down from the cupboard.

"Jess?" He prompted when she didn't respond. "Is that a no?"

"No! No." She shook herself mentally and smiled, one of those bright, warm smiles she couldn't quite stop whenever this man did something that made her insides melt and her heart go all fluttery in her chest. It was the smile that was usually accompanied by a blush and which amused Abby if not all of their teammates to no end and usually embarrassed her. "I'd like to. If you're sure...?"

A relieved grin broke out across his face, and she felt her smile grow even wider. "I'm sure."

"Is this... I mean... Are we going as friends or..?" Her heart began to beat faster at the look on his face and she found herself biting her lip. "I mean, it doesn't matter. But you know they're going to ask and I'd kind of be interested in knowing myself and..."

"It's a date," he interrupted. "If you want it to be," he added, arching an eyebrow in question.

"Oh, yes." And the smile was back, accompanied by a blush he could feel heating her cheeks.

Jess dumped the popcorn in a bowl and took it back to their curious teammates. She gave them a smile but instead of sitting down on the floor like they expected, she picked up her cardigan from the chair and put it on.

"Help yourselves to drink and snacks," she told them cheerfully, "you know where everything's kept. Just lock the door behind you when you leave if we're not back."

"Back...?" Abby exchanged a look with Connor, as Emily arched an eyebrow and Matt threw Becker a look that was part approval, part surprise over Jess's shoulder. "Are you going somewhere?"

"We're going to the cinema. Then maybe out for drinks," Becker answered for her. He smirked at the surprised expressions on their faces and put his hand to the small of Jess's back to lead her to the door.

* * *

Their teammates didn't end up watching their chosen film, instead choosing to abandon their film night in favour of gossiping about the departed couple over a couple of drinks in the local pub. Jess and Becker, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed their first date – though neither paid that much attention to the film Becker had chosen.

On the next scheduled film night, to be held at Becker's flat, Abby once again brought the _Ghost_ DVD with her. She was determined to get answers, since the would-be couple were playing it cool at work and neither would give any definitive response as to whether they were together or not.

Turning up at Becker's flat early, hoping she and Connor could grill him on his intentions towards Jess and ask him outright if the would-be-should-be couple were actually together, Abby was surprised when the Field Co-ordinator answered the door instead of the Captain, her cheeks flushed and a happy smile on her lips.

Question answered.

* * *

End.


	7. The one with the engagement party

The one with the engagement party

* * *

A small celebration with a couple of select friends is what Abby and Connor had originally planned for their engagement party; what they actually ended up with was something altogether different. When making the guest list – with the help of Jess – they'd found there were more people they wanted to invite than they'd initially realised.

There was the team, which was a given – there would be no engagement had their team mates and closest friends not helped them avert the end of the world convergence of anomalies.

Lester and his wife, who the others were surprised to find Jess had already met. Oh, the fact that she was on a first name basis with Eleanor Lester wasn't a surprise – the Field Co-ordinator coordinated both the personal and professional aspects of Lester's diary, despite him having a PA for that – but the idea that she'd met the mysterious Mrs Lester did result in a ten minute interrogation until Becker, seeing Jess was starting to get irritated, put a stop to it.

The Millers – Jenny and her husband, Michael – were definitely on the invite list. If nothing else, it would be a good opportunity for them all to catch up.

Abby's brother, Jack, made the guest list, though they weren't sure until the day before the party that he was actually going to attend.

Connor's friend, Duncan, was of course invited – and he'd asked if he could bring his mum, which of course they'd agreed to.

And then there were their other colleagues at the ARC. Abby decided she couldn't _not_ invite the rest of her team in the menagerie, which Connor had countered by saying he'd need to invite the scientists he worked with. Having invited them, they'd felt bad about leaving the rest of their ARC colleagues out so had issued a blanket invitation to everyone and their partners, and were a little staggered by the amount of responses they got back confirming they would attend.

And so their engagement party went from being small and intimate to loud and crowded – and the happy couple were surprised to find they enjoyed every second of it.

Their team mates... not so much.

Matt and Emily did their best to stay on the outskirts of the party, choosing to stick together and put on a united front. They were grateful when Jenny and her husband joined them, giving them an excuse not to 'work the room' as a tipsy Connor had tried to instruct them.

Lester and Eleanor had put in an appearance but made their excuses to leave quite early on in the evening, much to the disappointment of Jess. While others had greeted their boss and his wife politely before swiftly moving, Jess had enjoyed spending time in their company. Lester didn't intimidate her as much as he did everyone else, and she'd always got along well with Eleanor and enjoyed the rare chance to catch up with her in person.

When they left, she found herself at a loose end, and no longer had a 'safe place' in which she could hide.

Not that she needed to, really. She knew and liked almost all of the people there; she just wasn't as comfortable in big groups as her team mates might have believed.

Connor and Abby were doing the rounds – when they weren't lost in their own world on the dance floor; Matt and Emily were engrossed in conversation with Jenny and Michael; Becker was holding fort at the bar with his soldiers – though Jess knew he'd spent a good chunk of time early in the evening catching up with Jenny.

Deciding to make her way to the corner where Matt and Emily were, counting on her teammates to keep her company, Jess was stopped several times on her way there. She happily made conversation with those who wanted to chat to her but always declined the offers of a drink or a whirl on the dance floor.

Until she found herself face to face with Jack Maitland, the younger brother of Abby's she'd heard so much about.

"Hey, Jess. You must be Jess." The young man was unsteady on his feet, which would have clued her in to his inebriation even if the slurring of his words hadn't. "You're a pretty girl, Jess. Jess-i-ca. Abby didn't say how pretty you were. But then she wouldn't, would she? You're not her type, haha." He laughed at his own unfunny joke as Jess looked around for an avenue of escape.

Even as he began to tell her that she was his type and reach out to take her arm, Jess backed away. She saw some slight movement out of the corner of her eye but was too busy dodgy Jack's hands to pay it much attention.

"That's sweet, Jack, but I think I see Emily trying to get my attention so –"

"Just one dance," Jack implored, advancing on her as she took a small step back. "Just one teeny tiny dance? I'm the bride's sister! No. That's not right. The bride's my sister! I _think_ that means you have to say yes!"

"I know it means nothing of the sort." The voice surprised her but it was the arms sliding around her waist that made her jump. "I thought Abby told you to limit your drinking, Jack." Jess was frozen for a moment, until Becker murmured a quiet "play along" in her ear while Jack stared at them dumbfounded.

"You... Her..." Jack's unfocused eyes locked on Jess. "You're with Soldier Boy?"

"I –"

"Abby didn't tell you?" Becker cut in swiftly as Jess felt her cheeks flush and her ability to speak desert her. "Back off, Jack. Find somewhere and sober up before you embarrass yourself any further."

She found herself being ushered away by Becker – not towards their friends, who she noticed were watching with expressions that varied from surprised to amused to a knowing smirk, in Matt's case – but towards the very thing she'd been trying to avoid with Jack: the dance floor.

Somehow, with Becker, it didn't seem such a scary place – or at least not in the same sense of the word.

Becker's arms slid around her easily, drawing her closer and giving her no choice but to follow his lead. Feeling confused and more than a little giddy, Jess decided it was easier to go with the flow so-to-speak than risk making a scene.

They swayed to the music for a while, neither willing to break the spell that seemed to have fallen over them.

As the song changed from one slow song to the next, Jess lifted her head from where it'd come to rest on Becker's shoulder to risk a glance up at him... only to blush as she realised he was staring down at her.

"So... Thank you," she started quietly, her gaze dropping from his face to stare over his shoulder. She was actually seeing any of the people she was looking at but he didn't need to know that. "For the rescue," she clarified when he said nothing. "I didn't know how to get away from Jack without saying or doing something that would upset Abby."

"I doubt she'd have been upset with you," Becker told her, though given how protective Abby was of her younger brother, neither of them was entirely sure that was true. "I am surprised Abby didn't say something to him, though."

Confused, Jess's gaze flittered to his face again. "Something about what?"

He held her gaze. "About you and me."

She opened her mouth but closed it again without speaking. Instead, she stared at him, both confused and hopeful at the same time.

"Jess." They stopped dancing, standing still on the dance floor but neither of them noticed. "I'm not good with this kind of thing but I... I hope you know what you mean to me. How much." He stared at her intently, his face devoid of it's usually carefully schooled mask. "What I'm trying to say is... Well... I..."

Jess smiled at him, her giddiness returning full force even as she took pity on him. "Would you like to go out to dinner?" She asked him, biting her lip nervously even though she was confident of the answer. "Not tonight, obviously, but sometime soon?"

Relief spread across his face and he returned her smile with one of his own. "Tomorrow?"

"Sounds perfect." Letting her head rest on his shoulder as they resumed dancing, standing closer than they had been before, Jess caught a glimpse of Abby talking to her brother – berating him, it looked like. When Abby looked over and saw how closely her teammates were dancing, her eyes widened before a smile broke out across her face and she gave Jess a not-so-subtle thumbs up.

It wasn't how she'd expected the engagement party to end but Jess was pleased, her smile growing as Becker tightened his arms around her, pulling her even closer.

* * *

End


	8. The one with the hen night

The One with the Hen Night

* * *

He knew the girls were hitting the town for Abby's hen night, so had been hoping for a quiet night in himself. An anomaly alert when two of his teammates and his Field Co-ordinator were inebriated didn't hold a lot of appeal for him.

Becker ordered a takeaway and settled down in front of the TV with a bottle of beer. He'd been invited to have a boys night with Connor, Matt and a few of the others but they'd eventually decided against it – it would be their turn to overindulge soon enough as Connors stag do was in just seven days time.

It was for that reason that Becker was at home, having barely touched his beer in case his phone rang to signal an anomaly, when it beeped to signal a message. He reached for it instantly and frowned at the name on the display.

Jess.

A dozen scenarios ran through his head, and none of them were good. After a moment of dread, he touched the screen to open the message.

 _'Hi! Hope you're having a great night! :)'_

The message, complete with smiley face emoticon, made him frown again. Though he had texted Jess before and vice-versa, there was usually a reason for it – usually a work related reason or Jess checking up on him while he'd been recuperating from an injury or keeping him updated while he was off on a training exercise with his men.

How did he reply to her?

Did he reply?

He knew she'd have been drinking and, given the time, he was reasonably sure she'd be a little bit worse for wear by now... Tipsy at the very least!

Maybe she didn't expect a reply.

Maybe she'd texted him by mistake.

Maybe...

His phone beeped again, signalling another message. Checking the screen, he saw that again, the sender was Jess.

With some degree of trepidation, he pressed to open it.

 _'Do you like me, Becker?'_

Her question put paid to his thoughts that maybe he hadn't been her intended recipient. It also left him with another dilemma: _of course_ he liked her but in what way did she mean? And how could he answer not knowing which way she meant?

Another beep, another message.

 _'A &E say you do. I don't know. Am I wasting my time waiting?'_

For someone who was supposed to be drinking on her friend's hen night, her messages were surprisingly typo free and coherent. Autocorrect, he presumed, and her dislike of text speak were more than likely responsible.

Her third message – her second question – also almost made it clear what kind of _like_ she meant. If it was just in a friendly way, what would she be waiting for?

Another beep.

 _'You can say no. To the liking thing. It's ok :) U deserve what u want. Even if not me.'_

That she could babble even in a text message made him smile. The fact her 'you's' were becoming 'u' made him wonder what she was drinking in between messages. Shots, probably, given the short delay between them.

Deciding that he couldn't keep her waiting for a response, Becker started to type a reply but stopped after the first word. Well, letter. 'I'.

What? I like you? I don't think you're wasting your time? I think we should discuss this when you're sober? I don't know what to say?

They were all honest answers, all of them true.

None of them, however, seemed appropriate.

Another beep, another message.

 _'Sorry. Ignore me.'_

Since that was what he'd been doing – unintentionally, and from Jess's point of view – Becker felt instantly guilty. He went back to the reply screen, tapped in an answer and held his breath as his finger hovered over the 'send' button.

Exhaling, he sent it.

And waited.

And waited.

He finished his beer and checked his phone.

No reply.

He got up, walked to the fridge, pulled out another beer, and checked his phone.

No reply.

Returning to his sofa, he set the unopened beer down and picked up his phone again.

Checked it for a signal.

Put it down.

Picked it up.

It wasn't like Jess not to respond. Maybe she hadn't received it? Maybe it had been lost in the ether – wasn't she the one who told him that approximately 1 in 150 text messages didn't get through? And that a high percentage of text messages were often delayed somewhere between being sent and being received?

Maybe that was what had happened. Maybe she hadn't received the message. Or maybe she'd received it and replied but he hadn't received her reply? And maybe, despite the disappointment that he felt, maybe that was a good thing?

Maybe –

\- beep.

A message.

From Jess.

With some trepidation, he opened the message... and closed his eyes.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm his racing heart and forced his eyes open to read it.

 _'Me too. If you mean it.'_

Becker released the breath he'd been holding and found himself grinning stupidly at his phone. He could just about picture her in his mind, a beautiful smile lighting up her face before she bit her lip and started to second guess herself – and him.

Replying again was easy; he quickly tapped in the message and pressed send.

 _'I mean it.'_

Her reply was almost instantaneous, and he could almost feel her relief and giddiness.

 _'Good! What now?! :)'_

And that... That was a good question. While he'd meant what he'd said, Becker wasn't sure what the next step should be.

If they were an ordinary couple, he would have suggested dinner and drinks. But they weren't an ordinary couple; they had to work together, and the work they did was vital. If something went wrong or the feelings they had for each other didn't turn out to be as strong as he suspected they were...

... No.

 _No._

No more what ifs, no more fear. No more putting off the inevitable and making Jess wait – making them both wait.

He'd told her that he was tired of waiting, too, and he'd meant it. He was tired of watching the people around them get their happily ever after's, tired of putting his life on hold and depriving himself and Jess of potentially finding theirs.

 _'Now we go to dinner. Or lunch,_ ' he added, frowning at the thought of not seeing her within twenty four hours of making the decision to take the next step in their relationship. Knowing himself like he did, he knew he'd talk himself out of it given half a chance. _'Tomorrow, if you're not too hung-over?'_

Again, he could picture her response. He could see the pretty blush rise in her cheeks, the smile curl up the corners of her mouth even as she bit her lip and lowered her baby blue eyes to the phone in her hand. He could empathise with the pounding of her heart, the dampness of her palms, and the near overwhelming sense of giddiness.

 _'I'll be fine. Pick me up at 12? x'_

 _'It's a date xx'_ he sent back, returning her kiss with two of his own. If that made him a sap, then so be it. At least none of his men or teammates were around to see the foolish grin on his face.

He didn't get a reply from Jess but wasn't expecting one. When his phone beeped some time later, after he'd gone to bed, he was surprised – and a little concerned – to see Abby's name on the screen.

 _'So UR Y my maid of honour not drinking! Treat her well, B. Or u'll have me 2 deal with.'_

He rolled his eyes, then smirked at the message. Typing back a response, he set the phone down and turned off the light, determined to get some sleep before his lunch date with Jess.

 _'I'll treat her right. Take care of my girl.'_

* * *

End.

 _The novel is done! Yay! There was a burst of inspiration towards the end so it's all done... and now I've started the one that comes after it while I'm in the character's heads so am using these stories to hopefully get me through that one, too. Thank you all for your support and encouragement, as always xx_


	9. The one with the stag do

The One with the Stag Do

* * *

Drinks were flowing freely. The conversation was raucous. Somewhere along the line, they'd ventured into a strip club and the other members of their party were trying to give Connor a proper send off as he prepared to say goodbye to his life as a single man.

Poor bloke, Becker mused. He looked almost terrified as a woman in barely-there lingerie danced around and practically on top of him.

"You're not tempted to give it a go?" Matt, his fellow escapee and companion at the bar, motioned with his head to where Connor was reluctantly getting his lap dance. "There are a couple of girls who look like they'd jump at the chance to get their hands on you."

Matt was only half-teasing; Becker was aware he had an admirer or two, who'd only become more interested after finding out he was a ranked member of the military.

"Not in the slightest."

Though they were certainly attractive and he appreciated they were only trying to do their jobs – jobs they'd chosen – Becker really wasn't interested.

"You know, people will talk," Matt told him conversationally. "You haven't shown an interest in any of the women who've thrown themselves at you tonight. It's almost as if..."

"Almost as if what?" Turning away from the bar, Becker squared up to Matt, arching an eyebrow. "You've not shown any interest in anyone, either, if I remember right?"

Matt smirked. "I'm taken, remember? By a very beautiful woman, no less. So is Connor, which is why he looks like he'd rather be anywhere but here. What's your excuse?"

A certain Field Co-ordinator who favoured bright, colourful clothes, high heels and sinfully short skirts immediately came to mind but Becker tried to push the image aside.

Tried and failed.

Especially as he caught a glimpse of a woman who looked a teeny bit like Jess and started to picture Jess in the teeny-tiny outfit she was wearing.

"No reason." Liar. Big reason. Well, short-ish reason. Becker sighed and motioned to the barman. "Another. Make it a double."

Matt chuckled and ordered another drink himself. "Doesn't it get to you sometimes?" He asked after a moment. "Seeing her, not doing anything about it?" The team leader paused as their drinks were delivered. "She's not gonna wait forever, you know."

Playing dumb, Becker downed his drink in one. "Who?"

"Oh, you know. Smart, beautiful, about this high," Matt motioned, rolling his eyes. "Jess, Becker. _Jess._ Though Jess Becker does have a nice ring to it," he mused. "Better than Jess O'Neill, Jess Matthews, Jess Ryan..."

"What?" His voice was sharp. "Why those names?"

"Don't you know?" Matt looked positively pleased with himself. "They're all the blokes who've asked her out in the last week alone. She's turned them all down, of course, but it's only a matter of time before she says yes to one of them. She's not going to wait forever," he repeated. "And you should see the way her face lights up every time you speak to her and falls every time you leave without saying the thing she most wants to hear..." His expression grew serious and Matt quirked an eyebrow. "I'm asking as your friend, Becker. And as someone who cares a lot about Jess."

Becker stared at him but didn't speak.

Matt shrugged and stared into his glass. "Do you remember how it was in the beginning? When the ARC reopened and it was just the three of us? I could've sworn... I honestly thought something was going to happen between the two of you then. She was the only one who could get you to smile."

"She was the only one who could make anyone smile," Becker recalled, remembering how tense everything had been in the first few weeks and months as old and new tried to settle into a workable routine. "There was a time I thought you two..."

Matt laughed. "Jess and me? No, mate. Definitely no. Jess is... Jess is like a little sister. The little sister I never got to have," he admitted quietly. "My mum... She was pregnant when she died. She always said she thought it was a girl but we had no way of knowing, not there." Shaking off his melancholy and Becker's concern, Matt finished his drink. "She's like a little sister," he repeated, "and one I want to see be happy. Like I want to see you, as a friend, one of the few I have, be happy. Just so happens I think you could be happy together."

"I..." He couldn't deny it, and was temporarily saved from having to do so by the arrival of their groom-to-be.

Looking flustered, embarrassed and very much in need of a drink, Connor quickly summoned the obligingly bartender and ordered a round of drinks. "Hi. So. Great night, huh?"

"Great."

"It's an eye opener."

The two exchanged a glance and smirked as Connor quickly downed his drink and ordered another. "It is that," the lead scientist of the ARC agreed. "Definitely that. So what are we talking about?"

"Nothing," Becker said instantly.

"Becker and Jess," Matt replied at the same time. "And Soldier Boy's reluctance to do anything about it."

"Soldier Boy," Connor snickered. "I still like Action Man myself but..." His amusement trailed off at the same time his new drink was delivered. "Yeah. So. You know if you hurt her..."

Becker almost spat out the shot he'd downed. " _You're_ getting in on it, too?"

Connor shrugged, downed his own shot, and motioned for yet another. "She gave Abs and me a home. We're protective of her. She doesn't have anyone else. You should fix that."

Another round of drinks was ordered and quickly vanished. The subject was dropped, thankfully, though was never far from Becker's mind as the rest of the night continued...

* * *

Knocking. There was knocking. Who was knocking...?

Jess stumbled down the stairs from her bedroom to the main floor of her flat, pulling on a dressing gown over the vest top and shorts she'd worn to bed as she went.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming!" She called out, glancing at the clock on the wall to check her bedside clock hadn't been lying to her.

1.47am.

Great.

"This better be important," she muttered as she approached the door. "Like, end of the world important, or... Becker?"

Opening the door to find the Head of Security for the ARC standing on her doorstep – no, leaning against the wall next to her door – was not how she'd expected to end her Saturday night. Or start her Sunday morning.

"Hey, Jess." The usually composed Captain smiled at her... and promptly slipped, almost falling over before managing to right himself at the last moment. "Hi."

"Hi." She returned his dopey grin – and it _was_ dopey – with an arched eyebrow. "What are you doing here, Becker?"

"Lookin' for you," Becker told her matter-of-factly. "And I found you."

"Yes, you did. Though I'm not sure where else I'd be this time of night. Day. Anomalies notwithstanding." Her sleep-deprived brain spoke up no matter how hard she wished it would stay asleep. "Would you like some coffee or water?"

"Nope."

"I think you should." Rolling her eyes, Jess reached out for his arm and led him into her flat, kicking the door shut behind her. "Coffee it is. And water with painkillers for later. You can sleep it off in my spare room." She sighed as he stumbled sideways into the wall. "It's not like you're fit to go anywhere else. How did you get here, Becker?"

"Taxi." He continued to grin at her, which was unnerving, as she propped him up on a stool leaning against the kitchen island. "You're really, really, really pretty, Jess. Jessica. Jess."

"That's my name." She knew she was blushing but refused to let it get the better of her. "So we've established who I am and how you got here, why don't we go back to the why? Aren't you supposed to be making sure Connor's enjoying his last weeks as a single man?"

"Did that. Strip club," Becker informed her, completely missing the way she faltered in making his coffee. "He didn't like it. Neither did I."

"No?" Trying not to sound too pleased, Jess stared at the kettle and willed it to boil faster. "That's..." A shame? She knew she should say it but couldn't bring herself to, on account of being too pleased. "That's something."

"You weren't there," Becker blurted out, causing her to spill some coffee granules onto the bench.

"Well, no, Becker. I wasn't invited to Connor's stag do, nor do I moonlight in a strip club on my weekends."

"I wanted you to be there. Well, not there. With me." She glanced at him and saw him frowning. "I missed you. I always miss you when you're not there."

His words made her heart skip a beat even as her mind reminded her that it was the alcohol talking and not Becker. "That's nice. I think."

"It is. It's meant to be." She heard more than saw Becker approach. The feel of him so close to her back prepared her for the hand that came to rest on her hip. "Jess. I need to tell you. I have to tell you –"

"Tomorrow." She turned to face him, swallowing at his proximity. "If you still want to tell me whatever it is you want to tell me..." She dropped her gaze from his, unable to look him in the eye as she spoke. "Just tell me tomorrow, okay? If you want to."

He stared at her for a long time before nodding. Though she knew he was still drunk, he looked a lot more sober than he had when he'd first arrived on her doorstep. "Okay. Tomorrow."

Somehow, it sounded like a promise when he said it, and Jess felt an answering shiver make its way down her spine.

Tomorrow it was.

* * *

End  
(There's just something fun and adorable about drunk!Becker..)


	10. The one with the wedding (v1)

The One with the Wedding (version 1)

* * *

All eyes were on the bride and groom... Or they should have been.

There was only one woman Captain Becker had eyes for and it wasn't the bride currently slow dancing with her new husband in the centre of the dance floor of the swanky hotel that had been booked for the occasion.

The maid of honour was having a heated conversation with someone near the doorway of the room, and Becker found himself drawn towards them just in time to hear the tail end of their conversation.

"They wanted their first dance before they cut the cake," Jess was hissing at the person the hotel had appointed as Abby and Connor's contact for the wedding. "If that's what they want, that's what they're going to get. No. Save it," she continued, speaking over the woman who'd been about to speak. "They are the customer. _They_ are paying for your services. You will do exactly what they want or I will make sure that no one – and I _mean_ no one – even _considers_ using your venue for their future event. That isn't an empty threat, I can make it happen. Do you really want to take the risk?"

The answer was clearly a no, as the woman muttered something before dashing off, no doubt to follow the orders of the Field Co-ordinator who was clearly as adapt at controlling a situation in her personal life as she was in her professional one.

It took Jess a moment or two longer to realise she wasn't alone, having been focused on glaring in the direction the woman she'd been talking to had gone. When she realised Becker was there, she blushed prettily and busied herself unnecessarily smoothing down the skirt of her long maid of honour dress.

"Shouldn't you be watching the happy couple with everyone else?" She asked him when it became clear that he wasn't going to say anything.

"It's a little too nauseating for me," Becker said glibly, shrugging at her sceptical look. "I want to be able to eat a slice of the cake you were talking about."

"Uh-huh." Clearly unconvinced, Jess crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you avoiding Connor's cousins by any chance? Because if you are, I hate to tell you this but I think you've been spotted."

Becker glanced over his shoulder and sighed. Connor, it appeared, had two cousins a little older than the groom himself, who were clearly determined to catch up with their younger cousin and net themselves a husband. Unfortunately for Becker, they'd set their sights on him – something that amused both Connor and Abby, as well as an entirely unsympathetic Matt.

He was surprised, though, that Jess had noticed. He'd barely seen her – other than during the ceremony itself – as her role of unofficial wedding planner meant she was constantly on the move, seemingly unable to stop and take a moment to appreciate the beauty and atmosphere of the grand event she'd helped make possible in the first place.

"That's not why I came over here," he told her, though started panicking the second the words were out of his mouth as he couldn't tell her the real reason, that he hadn't been able to stop looking at her since seeing her walk up the aisle with Abby. As Jess quirked an eyebrow in question, obviously not believing him, the DJ invited others to join the couple in their first dance, giving him the perfect opportunity. "I just wondered if you wanted to dance. You deserve it," he continued when she stared at him, clearly in shock, and fighting the blush he could feel rising in his cheeks. "You put all of this together, Jessica. It's only fair that you should get to enjoy some of it."

Luckily for him, she didn't ask why he thought dancing with him would qualify as enjoying herself. Instead, she took the hand he offered her, though he couldn't decide whether she did so because it she wanted to or because she was too shocked to realise what she was doing.

They found themselves on the dance floor with half a dozen couples and Becker resolutely ignored the smirks he got from Matt and from Abby, focusing instead on the sensation of holding the Field Co-ordinator he'd often thought of but never allowed himself to imagine he'd be holding so close – at least not when not experiencing a life-or-death situation.

After a few moments of holding herself tense in his arms, Jess began to relax and moved closer, resting her head against his shoulder as Becker slid his arm further around her waist, drawing her against him. The control freak wedding planner vanished, the sweet and innocent Jess he knew and would not yet admit to loving taking her place.

"Thank you for this," Jess murmured, as one dance melded into two and neither made a move to break apart. "I think I got a little wedding crazy."

"You're a perfectionist." Becker shrugged; it wasn't, in his eyes, a flaw. "You want Abby and Connor to be happy, so you took it on yourself to make sure everything was perfect. That makes you a good person, Jess, which isn't something you need to apologise for."

She lifted her head to look at him, her eyes narrowed and sharp as she studied him. Seemingly finding what she was looking for, her features relaxed into a smile and a faint blush blossomed in her cheeks. "Thank you."

He had no idea what she was thanking him for but was happy to go along with it if it made her happy. "You're welcome."

They continued to dance for a while, both reluctant to break the moment. It was only when the woman Jess had been speaking to earlier announced that it was time for Abby and Connor to cut the cake that they parted and even then, it was clearly with some reluctance.

They joined the crowd of people around the table, the best man and the maid of honour, as Abby and Connor cut the cake and then followed through with the more American tradition of smashing it into each other's faces. Becker rolled his eyes even as he heard Jess sigh and lean a little further into him and realised his arm was still around her waist.

"They look happy, don't they?" She murmured, mostly to herself than to him but Becker replied anyway.

"They deserve to be." He shrugged when she looked up at him. "It's been a long time in coming, you have to admit."

Jess stared at him, her expression unreadable for a moment. When she answered, he knew she was talking about more than the happy couple exchanging sweet nothings, oblivious to the people around them. "You could say that. Long enough that some might be forgiven for thinking it was never going to happen."

"Well, those people would be wrong, wouldn't they?" It was a rhetorical question, one he had no intention of letting her answer. He dropped his arm from her waist only to take her hand as the band began to play again, another slow song in keeping with the romantic nature of the event. "Dance with me, Jess?"

To an onlooker, it would seem like an innocent question. One a friend could ask another completely platonically. To Jess and Becker, the air between them changed and it suddenly seemed a lot more serious. They'd been dancing around each other since the day they'd met, trying to avoid the inevitable, both a little bit afraid of acting on it out of fear of where it'd lead.

Becker's question was loaded, and Jess's expression told him she knew it.

"Always, Becker," she said after a pause in which he was sure his heart had stopped.

With a grin he didn't even try to hide, Becker led her onto the dance floor and pulled her into his arms, determined he wouldn't let her go.

* * *

End  
 _(Not how it was planned but I kind of like the way it turned out. Merry run up to Christmas! (just in case I don't get another part posted before!))_


	11. The one with the set up (v2)

11 – The One With The Set-Up (v2)  
 _(AKA the longest so far, written to celebrate finishing my original wip! Thinking of taking a break from the original stuff to concentrate on Jess/Becker till the end of the month... Let me know if you think that's a good idea!)_

* * *

No one wanted to go.

Not even Jess, who could usually be counted on to find the bright side of any situation, could muster any enthusiasm for Lester's latest announcement.

Yes, it was an all expenses paid overnight stay in a luxurious country hotel.

Yes, there was a spa on site and gorgeous grounds to walk around in.

But – and it was a big but – there would also be a roomful of prospective investors with which they would be expected to sweet talk and schmooze over the course of a very long, very tedious evening. Not even the promise of a four course meal and an open bar could tempt one of them to volunteer.

Connor had initially been keen, imagining he'd be able to whisk Abby away for a 'pre-wedding honeymoon' – a thing, according to him – but his fiancée had dissuaded him of the notion quite quickly. Neither were particularly interested in selling the idea of investing in the ARC – or at least in its latest cover story – to a bunch of rich do-gooders who were more interested in outdoing each other and flashing their cash rather than supporting a particular good cause.

Lester had given them a deadline of twenty-four hours to volunteer or to nominate two people to represent the ARC – or he'd choose them himself. None of them were willing to volunteer, and no one particularly wanted to be the person to nominate someone else so they silently agreed to let Lester decide, resigned to their fate should they be one of the unfortunate people.

And so it was a nervous team who gathered in Lester's office late on Friday afternoon to find out which of them would be leaving the comfort of their own homes the following morning and setting off for a weekend spent being absolutely miserable.

"You all know why you're here so I'll cut to the chase," Lester began without preamble, almost before the door was shut behind them. "Does anyone wish to volunteer?"

Silence. The team looked at each other, exchanging glances of commiseration while each willing someone else to speak up.

No one did.

"Very well." Lester sighed but didn't sound at all surprised. Given how he wasn't even attending himself on account of a family occasion he couldn't get out of – and, since it was related to his wife's side of the family, they all knew he would have tried – he couldn't condemn them for their lack of enthusiasm. He paused for effect, his gaze moving from face to face. "Captain Becker, Miss Parker. I will confirm the reservations in your names."

"What?

"What?"

The two unlucky teammates spoke in turn, while Matt grinned in obvious relief. Emily arched a speculative eyebrow, Abby bit back a smile and Connor tried not to look disappointed.

Becker and Jess, Lester noted, made a conspicuous effort not to look at each other.

"My decision is final," he told them before they could protest. "Captain, you're always putting in requisitions for expensive equipment. Now's your chance to earn them."

"What, saving the general public as well as this lot from dinosaurs and other creatures isn't enough?" Becker's retort was ignored as Lester continued.

"And Miss Parker, no one knows our cover story nor our financial requirements as well as you. You'll help keep the Captain from forgetting, I'm sure."

"But the cover story is all related to animal preservation," Jess protested. "Shouldn't someone who actually knows about that go? No offence," she added, though no one was sure if she was addressing Becker for implying he didn't or Matt and Abby for suggesting one of them would be best going instead. "It doesn't make sense, Lester."

"On the contrary, it makes complete sense. You don't see anyone else objecting, do you?" Lester looked pointedly at the others, who all found something else to look at.

"Of course they're not. They're all thrilled you're not sending them to this debacle instead," Becker muttered darkly, glaring at his teammates because he could.

"You two were the first employed by the new ARC," Lester continued as though he hadn't spoken. "As such, your length of service is equal to my own." It was a weak excuse, given Matt had joined them a few weeks later and Abby and Connor had arguably worked there longer if their previous years of service were taken into account but, again, no one spoke up to contradict their boss. In fact, Abby looked intrigued as though she'd never realised how long Jess and Becker had worked together before she and Connor had returned but Becker resolutely avoided eye contact and Jess was still staring at Lester in shock. "You are to check in tomorrow at no later than two PM. Pre-dinner drinks will be served in the bar from four PM. I expect both of you to attend and I will be checking to make sure you do."

With a wave of his and, Lester dismissed them and turned his attention to his paperwork. They all moved from their positions in his office, converging in Ops as Jess automatically took her place in front of the ADD.

"Sorry, guys. It's only one weekend," Matt said, a little too jovial to be sincere. "I'm sure it'll fly by."

"Perhaps you will get to use the spa while you're there," Emily suggested to Jess, trying to make the younger woman smile but failing in her attempt.

Abby, meanwhile, seemed more interested in Lester's reasoning for sending them to the event. "So how long was it just the two of you? I thought a lot of the old team came with the ARC, too?"

"They did, but there were interviews and assessments to complete before they could be transferred here." Jess shrugged, apparently too distracted by her upcoming trauma to see where Abby was going with her line of enquiry. "It was a bit spooky at first. Just me and the creatures."

Until Becker had come along, anyway, Jess remembered, again doing her best not to look at him.

Abby opened her mouth to say more but was beaten to it by Becker, who gave her a quelling look. "If you lot are done gloating, you can clear off."

"Hey! I wasn't gloating!" Connor's protests were ignored. Matt smirked and Abby rolled her eyes but Emily, perhaps wisely, wished them both a good weekend before ushering the others away. Abby went reluctantly, calling out to Jess to text her and let her know how she got on, while Connor dragged her away, still muttering under his breath.

"So," Jess fixed her gaze on the screens of the ADD to keep from staring at him. "We drew the short straw."

"We did." Becker stood awkwardly beside her. "But at least we'll have each other for company. I mean, it could be worse," he continued with a shrug when she finally turned to look at him. "It could be one of us with _Lester_ for company."

Jess laughed but shook her head. "Lester's not that bad, really. Though I'm glad I'm not spending tomorrow night with him. I mean..." She blushed and looked mortified for a moment. "You know what I mean."

"I know." Still, Becker grinned and any tension or awkwardness between them was broken. "Why don't I pick you up in the morning? It makes sense for us to travel together since I doubt we're going to get out of it, end of the world catastrophes aside."

She laughed again and gave him a smile. "That makes sense, yes. Thank you."

"No problem." He was clearly relieved as he ran a hand through his hair. "So if I pick you up at around ten? Is that too early?"

"No, that's fine. I'll be ready," Jess promised.

Becker nodded. "Great. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"You will. Tomorrow." She bit her lip, as it sounded like a promise more than a confirmation.

They stared at one another for a moment more before Becker turned away and made his way out of Ops and Jess turned back to the screens of the ADD. Unseen by either of them, Lester smirked to himself as he watched their exchange before getting back to work himself.

* * *

He was prompt, as she'd expected him to be. Fortunately for Jess, she'd been awake since six am and was all packed and ready to go – even though she hadn't been able to settle on an outfit for that evening so had packed three into her small overnight bag. Becker hadn't believed her when she'd admitted it in the car on the way there, not when she'd only brought one small suitcase and handbag.

"You're teasing me," he accused, casting a sceptical glance at her as he drove. "Three outfits? Really?"

"Really." She crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "It's easy for you me. One smart suit and you're done. Women need to think about colour, length, material... And then we need to accessorise with shoes and jewellery and a purse to put your purse and lippy in..." She pulled a face, which made him chuckle. "If I didn't like Lester, I'd steal an EMD and shoot him for giving us so little notice."

"Lucky Lester, then," Becker grinned. "You have impeccable aim so I know you wouldn't miss."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Jess laughed, blushing at the praise. "I still don't know why Lester's decided to send us. Surely Matt would've been the logical choice, being that he's team leader. And if anyone has any weird questions about the animals we're homing, then Abby would be able to answer them. I won't know what to say if anyone asks."

"We'll just have to blag it," he said with a shrug. "Though to be honest, from what I've heard from Lester about these things in the past, no one really cares about the charities they're supporting. It's all about showing off and who can brag about being able to write the biggest cheque."

"Sounds like fun." Her dry tone made him smirk.

"It will be," he reassured her. "We'll just keep to ourselves, mingle as little as we need to, and make good use of the free bar. There's no rush to get back in the morning, is there?"

"Not as far as I'm concerned. And Lester gave us Monday off, too, as compensation," she reminded him with a bright smile. "I think the least we can do is take advantage of the free bar. And the meal should be nice, too. The restaurant has apparently got a Michelin star so I'm looking forward to seeing what they've got on the menu."

"I didn't realise you were such a foodie, Miss Parker," Becker teased. "You care for Michelin star restaurants?"

"Not particularly. I care for takeaways from my local Chinese and Thai places. I just happened to do my homework and looked up this place on the Internet, which is how I know you're in the wrong lane because we need to take the next turn off."

"Yes, Ma'am."

* * *

Despite having looked up the country house hotel and knowing what to expect, Jess was flabbergasted as Becker pulled into a car parking space, his truck looking out of place beside the BMWs, Porches and Mercedes already occupying spaces. She was only half-aware of Becker getting their bags out of the boot and ushering her inside to reception, too busy trying to take it all in to pay much attention.

It was only when the receptionist repeated – adamantly enough for her to think that maybe it wasn't the second time she'd had to – to an incredulous Becker that there was only one booked in both of their names that Jess tuned back into the conversation.

"It has to be a mistake," Becker insisted, the tips of his ears turning suspiciously red. "Check again. Our boss booked it himself."

"Yes, I see that," the receptionist pointed out, beginning to look a little flustered herself. "It was booked and paid for by a Mr James Lester of the ARC, a suite in the names of Captain H Becker and Miss J Parker."

"Well, clearly there's been some kind of misunderstanding." Becker couldn't quite look at Jess. "Can you change the booking to two rooms?"

The receptionist bit her lip and looked, to Jess's way of thinking, as if she were about to burst into tears. "I'm afraid I can't, Sir. What with the fundraiser tonight, we're all fully booked and –"

"It's okay," Jess interrupted, taking pity on her. "It's okay," she repeated, glancing at Becker and seeing the look of surprise on his face. "We'll sort something out ourselves."

As Becker watched wordlessly, Jess finished checking them in and took the key the relieved receptionist held out to her. Still without a word, the duo followed the directions they'd been given and made their way to the suite their boss had mistakenly booked for them.

Although outside of the country house hotel was impressive, the suite they'd been booked made it look staid in comparison. Jess wandered through the three roomed suite – bathroom, bedroom, living room/dining area – her bags still in hand as she took in the stylish decor and furniture she was pretty sure was partly made up of antiques.

"This is amazing," she said when she finally rejoined Becker in the main living area of the suite, missing his still stunned expression at first. "I'm pretty sure the dressing table is worth more than my flat, and I think I'm love with the claw foot bath. Do you think they'd notice if I smuggled it out when we leave? Becker?" She frowned when he just stared at her. "Earth to Becker? Hello?"

"I – you – um. I'll take the sofa," he said after fumbling his words. "It looks big enough."

She stared at him incredulously, her eyebrows raised. "Have you seen the bed, Becker? It's big enough for both of us and a baby mammoth with room to spare. Don't be daft."

"Daft," he repeated, but continued to stare at her like he'd never seen her before so Jess decided to ignore him.

"Right, we've got about four hours before we need to be in the bar for pre-dinner drinks. Say it'll take an hour, hour and a half to get ready... That means there's time to go exploring!" She said it so brightly, it brought a small smirk to his face. "Do you want to go for a walk of the grounds with me? You can stay here if you want, or go and do your own thing. We've got two room keys so –"

"A walk sounds nice," he interrupted, regaining a little bit of his composure. "Some fresh air before we're stuck in a room with the stuffy idiots who'll be there tonight can only be a good thing."

His agreement was met with a bright smile, which made it worthwhile. They grabbed their coats and left the room, ready to spend the afternoon forgetting about the night ahead.

* * *

Their afternoon was lovely. It was nice, Becker realised, to be able to spend time with Jess away from the prying eyes of their teammates, and away from their habit of eavesdropping on every conversation they had, twisting it around so it became something they could be teased about.

If it weren't for the evening ahead of them, Becker would almost consider thanking Lester for choosing to send him and Jess away together.

Almost.

There was still the prospect of sharing a bed with her, which was proving to be far more daunting for him than it apparently was for.

As Jess took her turn in the bathroom, marvelling at the huge bath and insisting she needed to try it out, Becker took the opportunity to look around the suite and reasoned that yes, she was right, the bed was more than big enough for both of them.

 _But..._

There was something about sharing a bed with Jess that felt... not wrong exactly, but almost forbidden. Oh, he wanted to. God knows he'd dreamt about it more times than he cared to remember. But there was something that held him back, something that felt like fear but which he refused to acknowledge as such.

Soldiers, especially those with frontline experience, didn't feel fear over anything that wasn't life-threatening.

The problem was... his relationship with Jess, and the change he knew could happen if only he let it, felt a heck of a lot more scary than facing down an armed enemy in combat sometimes.

There were so many worst case scenarios, so many doubts and worries that ran through his mind whenever he considered the idea of the two of them together, in a relationship...

What if it went wrong? Could they still work together? Still be friends? He hoped so; she'd become one of his best friends and closest confidants... He couldn't imagine his life without her and didn't want to.

What if it worked? What then – after the dating and the getting closer? Marriage? Kids? He wasn't sure he was cut out for either but had a sneaking suspicious he'd try... if only it were Jess who asked him to.

And that... that was scary.

Incredibly scary.

Scary enough to distract him long enough for Jess to finish up in the bathroom and walk through to the bedroom... wrapped only in a towel.

Becker gulped.

"Bathroom's free if you want it," Jess told him cheerfully. "I'm sorry I was in there so long. The bath is _amazing._ "

"Right. Amazing." Becker gulped again and managed to somehow tear his gaze away from the amount of skin on display. "I'll go... check that out."

He quickly made his escape, aware of her curious gaze on him as he went. Closing the bathroom door behind him, he leaned against it heavily for a moment, the steam of the room doing little to ease the burning in his cheeks.

While the bath did look nice, he thought, he'd settle for a shower in the large walk-in cubicle.

A very long, very _cold_ shower...

* * *

She'd lost sight of Becker almost twenty minutes ago and Jess was beginning to get concerned. She smiled politely at whatever the pompous idiot talking at her was saying – something about the large donation he and his ex wife had made at last year's function – but kept scanning the busy bar for a glimpse of the tall dark haired man she'd arrived with.

Becker had been acting strangely most of the day – with the exception of the few hours they'd spent walking around the grounds – and no matter what she did or said, nothing seemed to help him relax. When he'd offered to go and get them drinks from the open bar, Jess had barely had time to say 'yes please' before he'd vanished, and she hadn't seen him since.

"So, Jennifer, tell me more about this Animal Rescue Centre of yours," the idiot said to her, his gaze dropping once again to the cleavage she had thanks to the tight bodice of the strapless dress she wore. "Why is it they deserve my money and not one of the other worthy causes here tonight?"

She forced another smile and bit her lip against correcting her name. "We do a lot of work with exotic species, those you'd find on the endangered list. If it weren't for our conservation work, there'd be a lot of animals added to the extinct list, which I'm sure you would agree would be a tragedy."

She had no idea what she was saying, in truth; she was just doing her best to piece together random statements Abby and Matt had tried to teach her in the limited time they'd had to prepare. She only hoped she was convincing and the idiot didn't notice any mistakes in her story as her gaze continued to wander, searching for the errant Captain...

"Hey!" Her attention was diverted as the idiot put his hand on her hip, and she turned to find him a lot closer than she'd expected. "Umm..."

"There you are!" Her prayers were answered as Becker miraculously appeared, smoothly putting himself between her and the idiot trying to cop a feel. The smile on his place was polite enough to someone who didn't know him but the glint in his dark gaze was almost murderous, something she wasn't used to seeing the usually composed man display. "I'm sorry, Jess, I got detained."

He didn't look at her even though she was the one he was addressing; his glare firmly fixed on the idiot doing his best to look innocent.

"That's okay, you're here now." She beamed at him, not that he saw it, and put her hand on his arm to distract him from the man he looked like he wanted to kill. "I was just explaining why the ARC would benefit from a donation from Kenneth here. About the important work we do."

"Yes, yes. Very important." The idiot – Kenneth – nodded vehemently. "A donation would be very worthwhile. Very worthwhile, yes. Ah, excuse me. I think I see someone..."

He escaped while Becker glanced first at the hand on his arm and then up at Jess. "I'm sorry it took me so long."

"Mmmhmm. And yet here you are, empty handed," Jess half-teased, arching an eyebrow.

"Believe it or not, I got our drinks. It was on my way back I got side-tracked." Becker blushed, much to her surprise, and glanced towards the bar. Jess caught a glimpse of a woman whose face lit up as she spotted the Captain and felt her heckles rise. "You're not the only one to get cornered, I'm afraid."

"I see that, and I see she's on her way over here." Surprised at the surge of something – not jealousy, exactly, perhaps possessiveness – that went through her, Jess tightened her grip on Becker's arm. "Why don't we make our escape and come back in time for dinner? I know we'll have to pay for drinks at the other bar in the hotel but..."

"...We could charge them to the room," he suggested, quirking an eyebrow. "Lester won't check."

Her smile widened and her eyes sparkled. "I like the way you think, Becker. Let's go."

They never made it back for dinner, but decided Lester never needed to know.

They made themselves comfortable in the quieter bar of the hotel, sipping drinks and sharing snacks from the light bites menu. It was only as the night was coming to an end that they realised they needed to do _some_ mingling with the other guests and slipped back into the ballroom where the fundraising gala was coming to an end.

They managed to speak to a few attendees, all of whom seemed more willing to part with their cash after a long evening of free drinks. They were therefore able to head back to their room, guilty consciences appeased as they were reasonably confident they'd secured the ARC a few donors to help them financially over the following twelve months.

It was only when they were back in their room that Becker seemed to remember the dilemma that was ahead of him – whether he should share the bed with Jess as she insisted or risk offending her by insisting on taking one of the two sofas in their suite.

As if sensing the direction his thoughts had taken, Jess stopped and rolled her eyes. She planted her hands on her hips and stared at him. "Becker. Seriously. Big enough for both of us and a baby mammoth. I know the thought of being that close to me is apparently repulsive to you but –"

" _Repulsive_?" He laughed, his tone incredulous as he stared at her. When she threw her hands up in frustration and made her way through to the bedroom, he followed her without hesitation. "God, Jess, if that was the truth, this would be bloody easy! It's not that I find the idea repulsive at all, if anything it's –"

"It's what?" Whirling to face him, Jess glared at him. Her face was flushed but Becker couldn't tell if it was with temper, embarrassment or due to the drinks they'd consumed that evening. "If that's not what your problem is, then tell me, because it's certainly the only thing I can think of –"

The only thing he could think of was to show her, rather than tell her, so that's what he did.

He closed the gap between them, grasped her arms and tugged her towards him, sealing his mouth over hers before she could finish her sentence.

For one horrific moment, Jess tensed in his arms. Just as he was beginning to doubt himself and decided to pull away, she lifted her arms to twine them around his neck, drawing him closer as her eyes slid shut on a sigh and she eagerly returned his kiss.

Lester sat in his office on Monday morning, looking up every time someone walked passed his office. When it finally came to be the turn of the ARC Field Co-ordinator, he didn't return his attention to his paperwork straight away, instead choosing to surreptitiously watch her make her way to her place at the ADD.

Or rather, be escorted to the ADD.

The smile on her face was sunny, the flush in her cheeks undeniably as she gazed up at the usually stoic Captain, an adoring smile on her face. All in all, it wasn't an _entirely_ unusual sight though the one that followed it – a quick glance around before the soldier in question leaned in to kiss her quickly – was quite new.

Lester looked away quickly, before he could be caught watching them.

A small smile crossed his face as he went back to processing the donations that had been gifted to the ARC in response to the charity benefit, feeling inordinately pleased with himself. Not that he'd ever admit to having had an ulterior motive in sending them, of course, but as the old saying went... Two birds with one stone...

* * *

 _Abby's curiosity about what went on in the 6 months after the new ARC was set up but before she and Connor returned is something I'm considering writing as one of these stories in an AU kind of way. Yay? Nay? Indifferent?_


	12. The one with the self-defence (v2)

**The one with the self defence (v2)**  
 _(This could also be called 'the one with the bullies' because it went in a completely different direction to what I was expecting.)_

* * *

When Jess strode determinedly into the armoury after the others had long gone for the day, Becker knew there was something on her mind. Despite the confidence she exuded, he could tell by the way she fidgeted with the security bracelet around her wrist that she was nervous.

"Hey, Jess." He watched his Second in Command greet her with an easy smile. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your company this time of night?"

"I need a favour." Though she returned Miller's smile with one of her own, Jess's gaze flickered from him to Becker and back again. "I need someone to teach me how to shoot."

Miller looked as surprised as Becker felt at the request. The Lieutenant glanced at him before turning back to Jess, concern visible in his expression. "Is everything okay, Jess? Someone giving you trouble? 'Cause you know you just need to say and we'll sort them out for you. One word and the boys'll take care of it."

She smiled again but there was a tightening around her eyes that neither Miller nor Becker liked. "No, no. There's no one bothering me. I just... I got into a little bet with someone and now I need to make sure I can shoot. A real gun, not just an EMD. I can handle those well enough."

"So I hear," Miller agreed, looking to Becker once again. "Heard all about you taking on imaginary tigers during the beetle incursion. Impressive."

"Thanks. I think the hallucination bit helped, actually." She started wringing her hands in front of her, following Miller's gaze to Becker. "So... Any idea who I could steal for a few hours or however long this'll take?"

"Captain's the best shot," Miller said with a casual shrug. "You sure there's no one bothering you, Jess?"

She hesitated for a second but shook her head. "I'm sure. Thank you."

"In that case, I'll leave you to it. See you tomorrow, Capt'n." With a wave over his shoulder, Miller sauntered out of the armoury, leaving Becker and Jess alone.

Becker studied her in silence, his eyes narrowing when she couldn't quite meet his gaze. "Who's the bet with, Jess?"

"Hmm?" Reluctantly glancing in his direction, Jess shrugged a shoulder. "Oh, no one. So can you teach me? Or suggest someone who can? I just need to know the basics. Just enough to be able to hit a target," she added, her expression growing distant for a moment before clearing as she gave him an overly bright smile. "So...?"

"We can start tomorrow," he heard himself saying, even as his mind wandered to what could be the reason behind her sudden desire to familiarise herself with a gun. "Be here at seven sharp; the shooting range should be free then."

"Seven, okay." She repeated it, mostly to herself, and nodded. "I'll be here. Thanks, Becker!"

Eager to leave, she turned on her heel and left the armoury without looking back, leaving a puzzled Captain in her wake.

* * *

At 6.50am, Becker arrived at the shooting range in the basement of the ARC to set up, only to find the Field Co-ordinator was already there. She stood inspecting one of the targets in the shape of a person, or more precisely the bullet holes left in it from someone else's practise session.

Not wanting to startle her, Becker cleared his throat but Jess jumped anyway. She wrapped her arms around her middle even as she smiled – again too brightly, he noted.

"I'll just need a few minutes to get set up," he told her in greeting, refusing to let his surprise or his concern at her eagerness show.

"That's fine." Her arms tightened around herself. "Thank you, again, for this, Becker."

"It's not a problem." He worked systematically at the station they'd be using, getting out two sets of safety glasses and hearing protectors. He reset the target and pushed the button to send it to the back before turning to her. "So what are the particulars of this bet of yours?"

She shrugged a shoulder but couldn't quite look at him again. "Just that I can hit a target. It doesn't have to be a head shot or a heart shot or whatever; it just has to hit it."

"I see." He didn't, not really, and asked the question that had kept him awake most of the night. "So can I ask who you made the bet with? And where you're going to be proving it?"

"Here," she was quick to answer the second part. "This week, sometime. "

He waited.

Jess bit her lip and reached for the ear protectors. "So why do we have to wear these? You don't wear them out in the field?"

Suspecting she knew the answer but was trying to distract him, Becker shook his head. "It's insulated in here. It's loud anywhere but in here, the sound bounces off the walls. You could get away with it once or twice but do it regularly without them and you'll soon find you have hearing difficulties."

"Makes sense." She slipped the ear protectors over her head but let them hang around her neck. "And the goggles?"

"Glasses," he corrected.

Jess shrugged. "They look like goggles to me. Like the ones we had to use in chemistry whenever we were experimenting with the Bunsen burners."

"Same reason you had to wear them then," Becker said with a shrug as she put them on. He would not tell her she looked adorable, he wouldn't even think it. "You're firing live ammunition. Shrapnel can bounce. It's unlikely it'll ricochet this far back from the target unless you're a really poor shot but I know from seeing you with the EMD that that's not the case."

"EMD's are different to traditional firearms," Jess told him instantly. "You used to complain about them enough for that to sink in."

"Uh-huh." Not wanting to get into it, Becker motioned for her to stand in front of him. "First thing we need to do is stand properly. There'll be a rebound from the trigger action so you need to be braced for it."

He hesitated for a split second before telling himself to think of her as any one of the dozens of people he'd talked through firing a weapon. Reaching out, the second he touched her, he felt her freeze. Deciding to act as though he hadn't noticed, he continued to manoeuvre her until she was in the correct stance, ignoring the blush that stained her cheeks even as he felt a mirroring one rise in his own.

"Right." Positioning himself behind her, he told himself to think about anything else but the feel of her body against his own. "I'll support you through the first one, okay? You want to hold the gun like this." He set it in her hands, and closed his own around them. "When we're ready, you need to move your index finger over the trigger. Locate the target in the sight, tilt the muzzle until you've got it lined up."

She did as instructed, her body tensing then relaxing as she reminded herself to breathe. Becker might've found it amusing if he didn't feel so aware of her every move.

"Okay, I'm ready."

"Good." Backing away for a moment, he adjusted the protectors over her ears. Returning to his position behind her after securing his own, he put his arms around her and took hold of the gun. "Now line it up, then pull the trigger. Gently," he instructed, loud enough to be heard through the protectors.

She took another deep breath, then her finger tightened over the trigger. The rebound of the gun firing jolted her into him, which Becker had thought he was prepared for but wasn't. His breath caught in his throat but he was glad she seemed obvious as she righted herself and got ready to take another shot.

They worked through the round, with Becker supporting her, and then he stepped back. As he summoned the paper target, Jess put the gun down and slid the protectors from her ears.

"Not bad," he told her approvingly, looking at the bullet holes left in it. They weren't neatly clustered together but she'd hit her mark with every one of them, which was better than some of those he'd instructed over the years. "We'll try it again, this time without me supporting you."

Jess nodded but didn't speak. She watched him reload the gun and reload a fresh target, and took up her stance the way he'd shown her as he sent it back to the wall.

He stood back and watched her take aim and fire again, interrupting only once to correct her stance before she could continue. When she was done, he summoned the target back without a word, surreptitiously watching her remove her ear protectors from the corner of his eye.

"Did I hit it?" She asked anxiously, her eyes anxious behind the safety glasses.

"You did. Very well." He showed her the target, genuinely impressed by her accuracy. "Seriously, Jess. We can run through it a couple of times but if you get some practice in between now and whenever you're doing it, I have no doubt you'll be able to not only hit the target but get it close to perfect."

"Good." She smiled, relieved and genuine. Taking the glasses off and setting them down with the ear protectors, she smiled at him again. "Thank you, Becker."

"Anytime." He couldn't help but return her smile with one of his own. "Will you tell me who the bet is with now?"

The smile disappeared in an instant, and she shook her head. "It's not important, but thank you. I really should get to the Hub and see what's happened overnight before Lester gets in. You know what he's like! Thanks again, Becker!"

Once again, she hurried away without looking back. Once again, Becker could only watch her go.

* * *

Matt knew nothing about the bet. Neither did Emily nor Connor.

Becker was about to give up, when for the second time in a week, one his teammates turned up at the armoury after hours.

"I think I know what's going on with Jess," Abby told him hurriedly, keeping her voice down as though she expected the Field Co-ordinator to walk in at any moment. "She's been getting some hassle from one of the new recruits, some teasing about being the damsel in distress? I don't know the full details," she continued, holding up her hand to keep him from asking. "I just know what I overheard, and what I overheard was two of my staff expressing concern that Jess is being picked on and being frustrated because they promised her they wouldn't say anything to any of us."

"Which of the new recruits is it?" There were several recently, Becker knew. Four of them military, two of them scientists.

"One of yours," Abby said with an apologetic shrug. "I'm guessing one of the women, because it seems like a bitchy thing to do, which narrows it down to two. My bet is it's someone who maybe has a thing for you, and because of this thing with you and Jess, they're trying to make her feel she's not worthy of you so she backs off."

Becker stared at her. And stared at her. When he finally regained his voice, he didn't know what part of her matter-of-fact reply to question first. "Thing with me and Jess?"

Abby rolled her eyes. "Yes, Becker, the thing that's been bloody obvious since almost the minute I stepped foot in the ARC. This ARC. I get that you're doing this your own way, that you're dancing around each other at the moment. Believe me, I get that. Connor and me did it far longer than you and Jess, for now at least. But don't act oblivious to it, because no one else is."

"Right."

"Which is why I think it's one of the women who just started with you. That's Patricia and Dawn, right? Have either of them said anything, done anything that makes you think they'd be interested?" At his blank, and embarrassed, look, Abby laughed. "Not that you'd notice, because we've just established you're Captain Oblivious when it comes to these things."

"So what do we do?" Becker looked at her expectantly. "Jess hasn't been herself recently. Do we let her do this and prove them she can or...?"

She shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know," Abby answered honestly. "I don't know if it'd do Jess more good or more harm if we put a stop to it. If she can do it and does it, it'll be a boost to her confidence as well as proof that she's worthy of you –"

"That's not something she needs to prove," Becker interjected with a glare.

"Not to you or me or anyone else, maybe, but to herself..." Abby shrugged. "I've got to think there's a reason she allowed herself to be baited, Becker. Maybe _she's_ the one who thinks she isn't good enough. Maybe she's let these horrible bullies convince her that's why you've not made a move or said something. I think..." She paused to take in a deep breath, her expression thoughtful. "If you think she can do it, we let her do it."

"She can do it," he interjected again, his tone full of confidence. "She's got better aim than some of my men did when they first came here."

"Then we let her. And then after, we find who's responsible for putting her through it and we make it clear Jess is not to be messed with." There was an underlying note of steel in her voice that Becker appreciated.

"I don't think we'll have a shortage of volunteers to make sure that message gets across," he told her wryly, thinking back to Miller's concern and knowing it would be shared by at least 85% of the men and women under his command. "You can find out who's behind it?"

Abby's expression was nothing short of determined. "Leave to me. I'll have a name before the end of tomorrow."

* * *

She had a name, but the bet had taken place and Becker had already been informed of who was responsible for it by the time she got it. By the bounce in Jess's step and the smile on her face, Becker didn't need three guesses to know she'd been able to reach the terms and silence her critics.

It was only a few hours after noting the change in her demeanour that Miller knocked on the door to his office, his expression nothing short of furious, and accompanied by five of his fellow soldiers who all looked ready to kill.

Messing with Jess, Becker noted, was not something his people would take lightly, the Field Co-ordinator igniting their protective streaks. Though they wanted to make an example of the guilty party, Becker told them no; he wouldn't resort to her childish games and had a better idea of how to put her in her place.

While his men were mystified, it was Jess who got the biggest surprise when she ventured into the armoury later that afternoon, the report Becker had requested in hand.

"Becker?" She called out, smiling a little in greeting at the half dozen soldiers milling around. All but one of them smiled back, news having spread of her anxiety caused by one of their own, who was incidentally the only person not to look up and acknowledge her presence but instead scowled down at the EMD she was reassembling as part of her induction. "I've got the report you wanted."

"Thanks, Jess." He took it from her and set it down without so much glancing at it. Instead, she was the sole focus of his attention and as soon as she realised it, she started to blush. He reached out and grabbed her hand before she could back out of the armoury. "What are you doing later?"

"Later?" She repeated, staring down at the hand he'd wrapped around hers. "Um, nothing?"

"How about grabbing something to eat after work?"

Jess stared at him. "With the team...?"

"No. Just us." Becker was aware of the silence in the armoury, aware they could hear a pin drop as his men waited almost with baited breath for her answer.

"Okay?" She sounded unsure but there was the beginnings of a pleased smile tugging at her lips as her blush deepened. "Yes, I mean. That would be nice."

"It would." Aware he still had hold of her hand, Becker smiled at her and reluctantly let go. "I'll swing by Ops when I'm done so we can go straight from here."

"Okay." He didn't miss the way she glanced towards the woman who'd put her through her ordeal but told himself she could fight her own battles – and had proved that. "I'll see you then."

"You will." For the third time, Becker watched her walk away. This time, however, she glanced back at him over her shoulder, a shy smile on her face. When she was gone, he became aware that he was still the centre of attention and cleared his throat. "Get back to work, people. Nothing to see here."

"Nothing at all, Capt'n." Miller smirked at him, though he noted his Second looked as excited by the prospect of his date with Jess as Becker did himself. "You heard the man, people. Back to work!"

Picking up the report that he didn't really need, Becker retreated to his office, a grin on his face.

* * *

 _End  
Bullies suck, but they will get their comeuppance in the end. If you are or ever have been bullied, don't let them bring you down. Don't let them win. From one victim of bullying who let it take over and ruin so many aspects of her life, please don't let them make you regret the things you did or didn't do._

On a lighter note, I've added the 'what happened at the ARC pre-Connor & Abby's return' AU to the end of this list of stories in place of one I was dithering about so it will get written but not for a while. I'm apparently a stickler for the original order of things...


	13. The one with the ex (v1)

The One with the Ex (Version 1)

 _(Slight warning for bad language... What can I say, Becker lets the occasional bad word slip when he's angry...)_

* * *

"Must I give a reason?" Becker heard Emily huff to Matt as they walked into the break room where he'd been hoping to have a quiet, undisturbed lunch break. "I simply do not like the man."

"People rarely don't like someone for no reason at all," Matt argued, rolling his eyes behind her back as she went straight to the coffee machine. "Hopkins has done nothing to cause your dislike, as far as I know."

Emily huffed but didn't speak as she prepared her drink. Matt, clearly exasperated by the conversation, grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the bench and joined Becker at his table, not caring that there'd been no invite.

Becker was determined not to get involved in the couple's latest tiff and scowled at the Team Leader for good measure, hoping he'd get the hint and go away.

"Alright, mate?" Matt grinned, clearly enjoying his frustration. "What do you think of Hopkins?"

Becker had to think for a moment to place the name. "The geek here to investigate whether we really do need funding for a new upgrade?" He shrugged when Matt nodded. "Haven't talked to him long enough to form an opinion. Can't say I want to."

"I daresay he would want to talk to you, either." Emily gave him a speculative look as she joined them – again, uninvited – at the table he'd chosen as it was in the corner and out of the way.

"Why do you say that?" Matt asked before Becker could. "You really don't care for the bloke, do you?"

"He is unprofessional." Emily wrapped her hands around her cup as she savoured the scent of the freshly brewed coffee. The team often teased her about her newfound caffeine addiction but she refused to let their attempts at humour distract from her enjoyment of the beverage.

"Unprofessional?" Matt repeated around a mouthful of apple. "How so?"

"He is making a simple job last longer than necessary for the purpose of extending his time around Jess," Emily answered matter-of-factly before taking a sip of her coffee. Only when she looked up from the cup did she notice both men staring at her, their attention suddenly rapt. "What?"

"What does Jess have to do with this?" Matt asked, his protective instincts rising when it came to the young woman who'd been amongst the first friends he'd made in this time.

"Is he bothering her?" Becker's tone was deceptively casual, less demanding than Matt's but that didn't fool either of them. The couple exchanged a look, knowing a calm and casual Becker was more dangerous than an openly volatile one.

Emily squirmed, a little uncomfortable at their attention. "He is her... ex?" She said eventually, sounding uncertain at the use of the term. "Hopkins and Jess were once romantically involved. She ended their relationship, shortly after she began working at the ARC." This was said with a speculative glance in his direction that Becker chose to ignore. "Hopkins did not take it well, and began harassing her."

"I remember she was seeing someone at the beginning," Matt said slowly, his eyes narrowing as he thought back to a time when the ARC was just starting to get established again. He remembered hearing her break plans with someone after a bad anomaly so she could go to the pub for drinks with himself, Becker and a few of the soldier's men and getting upset at what the other person said to her. "That was Hopkins?"

Becker, also thinking back, frowned. "She changed her number," he recalled. "About a month or so before Abby and Connor got back. Said she'd lost her phone."

"I am certain that was an excuse." Emily shrugged. "She confided in me two days ago but made me promise not to speak of it to either of you. I cannot for the life of me think why," she added wryly.

"If he's hassling her, Lester needs to know," Matt spoke up after a moment of silence. "He won't stand for it, probably get the little prat banished back to an office pushing papers somewhere."

"She won't want Lester knowing," Becker argued before Emily could. "She'd worry he'd think it's unprofessional of her to bring her personal issues into work."

"We've got to do something," Matt retorted, his attention focusing on the Head of Security as Emily listened to the conversation while sipping her coffee. "He can't get away with it. Not here."

Becker smiled thinly. "He won't."

"So we have a word with him, yeah?" Matt questioned. "I'm sure we can find a moment alone with the idiot to tell him to back off."

Considering it for a moment, Becker shook his head. "He'd just complain to his boss or the Minster or whoever sent him here," he waved his hand dismissively. "I'll take care of it."

"You?" Matt arched a sceptical eyebrow. "What are you going to do?"

"I'll take care of it," Becker repeated. He got up from his seat and tossed the remains of his lunch into the nearby bin, and strode determinedly out of the break room.

Matt turned to Emily, poised to ask her what she thought Becker would do, but the question died on his lips at the sight of the smug smile on hers. "You planned this, didn't you?" He accused. "You knew Becker was going to be here?"

Emily smiled like that cat that had got the cream but shrugged a shoulder in a half-hearted attempt at innocence. "Of course not. I can't imagine why you would think so."

* * *

Becker was careful to time his arrival in Ops just right, at the end of the day. He waited, pretending he was engrossed the information on the tablet he was holding, until he heard Jess and Hopkins exit Lester's office where they'd been once again arguing over whether Jess's request for an upgrade of the ADD could be justified.

From the look on the Field Co-ordinator's face, her pleas had been backed up by their boss and the upgrade was close to being approved if not already done so. The triumph faded, however, when she noticed Hopkins was following her towards the ADD instead of going somewhere else.

Before she could tell the rat following her to go away, Becker made his move, smoothly cutting in between them so the paper pusher ex was forced to take a step back.

"Becker." Jess's smile was as warm as ever, but her gaze, he noticed, flickered from him to Hopkins with something akin to nerves. "Everything okay?"

"Fine, as far as I know," Becker returned, giving her an easy grin that made her eyebrows lift. He wasn't one for smiling often but before she could comment on it – if she chose to – he turned his attention to the man staring at them. "You must be Hopkins."

"I am." The man's grey eyes assessed Becker even as he drew himself up to his full height – still falling inches short of the Captain's six foot plus frame. "You must be Captain Becker," he continued, his tone flat. "I've heard a lot about you."

Out of the corner of his eye, Becker saw Jess blush and bite her lip. "Have you?" He asked conversationally. "I can't say I've heard much about you. Sorry." He didn't sound sorry at all and knew it. As Hopkins floundered and tried to think of something to say back to him, Becker turned to Jess. "How long will it take you to be ready to leave?"

Jess's brow furrowed in confusion. "Um, not long? Five minutes, maybe?"

Becker smiled at her again, enjoying the surprise on her face and the slight widening of her eyes. "Good. I'll wait for you, then."

"You'll... wait?"

He shrugged. "Might as well. What do you fancy for tea tonight? We could try the new Italian Abby and Connor were raving about yesterday or pick up Chinese from the place you like on the way home?"

"Um." She stared at him, looking torn between confusion and concern at his unexpected behaviour. And then she looked at Hopkins, who Becker noticed had turned quite red during their exchange. "Oh. Um."

"You're dating?" Hopkins demanded, his voice a touch higher than it had been. "Jessica? You're dating this... _this_..."

" _This_?" Becker prompted, enjoying himself a little bit too much. "Captain," he supplied when Jess's ex could only glare at him. "That's my rank."

"You're dating _him_?" Hopkins spluttered. "How long has this been going on? Is _he_ the reason you broke up with me? I _knew_ it! I knew there was someone else!"

"I wasn't – we weren't – aren't –" Jess glanced around, growing embarrassed when she realised they had a small but curious audience. "Becker, tell him."

Confident their onlookers could only see the exchange but couldn't hear it – and surprising himself by not caring even if they could – Becker grinned again as he followed her request. He slid an arm around her waist, drawing her close to his side even as she stared up at him in surprise. "She is, and not long enough. My fault entirely; I should've asked Jess out long before I did." Ignoring her renewed flush, he looked at Hopkins. "Now, I don't know what your connection to Jess is, Hopkins," he continued, allowing himself the small lie, "but I do know that whatever was between you is well and truly in the past. Do yourself a favour and get over it."

Hopkins stared at him. At them. He looked from Becker to Jess, waiting for a moment as though expecting Jess to deny it. When she didn't, he looked back to the Captain standing with his arm around the Field Co-ordinator as though it were something he did every day. "You're welcome to her," he spat, his tone vicious. "Uptight little bitch. She'll screw with you like she screwed with me, you know. Tease you then leave you hanging like the frigid little –"

"Jess." Becker's voice was hard. "Go and get your things."

The clearly mortified Field Co-ordinator left without arguing, her cheeks flaming.

Before the self-satisfied smirk could fully form on Hopkins mouth, Becker closed the gap between them, getting into the other man's face without hesitation. "You're going to go away now," he told Hopkins, his tone polite but firm. "You're going to fuck off back to whatever hole you crawled out of, lick your wounds and never, ever think about calling Jess again. If I get one word that you've been harassing her, I will track you down and I will make sure you regret it."

"I – you –" Hopkins gulped. "You're threatening me?"

"No." Becker smiled, showing his teeth. "I'm making a promise. If you want to test me, feel free but you won't like what happens next."

The other man looked like he wanted to argue but movement from the corner of his eye distracted him. Two of Becker's men stood not more than a few feet away, their expressions carefully blank but both held EMDs in their hands. Hopkins gulped again.

Without another word, the other man turned and fled, his face red and blotchy.

Becker nodded to the soldiers he'd had on standby, watching in approval as they followed Hopkins to make sure he left without incident. Satisfied they wouldn't be seeing him again, Becker turned on his heel and walked towards the ADD, where Jess sat staring at the screens in front of her.

"Are you ready to go?"

She jumped at the sound of his voice but didn't turn away from the computers. "He's gone, isn't he? Mission accomplished." Her voice sounded strange, unusually flat. "Thank you, but it wasn't necessary. He'd have been gone tomorrow anyway."

He waited a moment, and then put his hand on her shoulder. "He's gone, and I'd still like to take you out to dinner. Italian or Chinese. Or there's a nice pub not far from here if you prefer."

Jess looked up at him then, her expression conflicted. "You don't have to do this. He's not here to see it, Becker."

"I'm not doing it for his benefit; I'm doing it because I should've done it months ago. Wanted to, even." He felt his own cheeks heat but refused to give in to it. "I'll understand if I waited too long, if I've blown my chance. But I would really like it if you'd let me take you on a date, Jessica."

"A real date?" She looked hopeful but sounded sceptical. "Not a pretend one?"

"A real date," he confirmed, taking his hand from her shoulder to hold it out to her. When she accepted it hesitantly, he helped her stand as relief flooded him. "So what'll it be?"

She smiled at him, a little shyly but it was a smile and he was glad of that. "A Chinese sounds good. The best place is a takeaway, though, so we could take it back to my flat?"

"Sounds perfect." He kept hold of her hand, noting she tensed for a moment before letting herself relax. "Chinese it is."

* * *

End.


	14. The one with the rugby

The One with the Rugby

* * *

Spending her rare Saturday mornings off work standing outside in the freezing cold was not how she really wanted to begin her weekend.

But Jess was a _good_ sister.

No, she was the _best_ sister. And the _best_ aunt. So when her brother had said he had a rugby match _and_ her nephew had wanted to go and support his father _and_ her sister-in-law had come down with a stomach bug Jess actually suspected was morning sickness, she volunteered to be the one to stand with the excited three year old on the sidelines, cheering on her big brother.

Except...

He wasn't the only person playing rugby that she recognised.

"Auntie Jess, Auntie Jess, look!" The gleeful little boy jumped up and down as he pointed at his beloved Daddy on the field (pitch? Jess wondered). "Daddy's so good!"

"Mmm hmm." Jess smiled at Johnny's hero worship of his father but her gaze wasn't focused on her big brother, rather his teammate who was working alongside him in what looked like a complicated play to get the rugby ball from one end of the pitch to the other. "He is, isn't he?"

The cold air made her shiver and she pulled her jacket tighter around her. Johnny was oblivious, but then she doubted he was staying still long enough to feel the chill on account of his enthusiastic bouncing and shouts of encouragement to his father.

"Hey, Jess." The voice made her jump, so focused had her attention been on both keeping one eye on her nephew while keeping one eye on the man playing rugby who was certainly not her brother. "It's been a while since I've seen you here."

Smiling at the other woman, Jess let her gaze drop down to the noticeable bump at her middle and grinned even more. "It's definitely been a while, Kim. Congratulations!"

"Thanks." Kim beamed, her hands resting proudly on her bump. "It's taken us a while but we got there in the end."

"Do you know if it's going to be a boy or a girl?" Jess asked, resting a hand on her nephew's head as she fought to keep her gaze on her new companion and not the players on the pitch.

"A boy," Kim said with both pride and affection. "A football player if the way he kicks is anything to go by but don't tell Gav. Football is a dirty word in our house."

Jess laughed, familiar with the argument. "We all know football is for wimps. Rugby is for the real men," she joked, though her gaze strayed back to the game going on and a warm blush rose in her cheeks.

"Hmm, I see you've spotted the newbie." Kim followed her gaze and sighed. "Though he's not really new; he's been playing for them for a few months now. Good friends with your brother from what I've seen," she added with an arched eyebrow. "So if you were angling for an introduction, you've got one up on the others."

"The others?" Her curiosity caused her to look at Kim, and then follow the direction of Kim's meaningful nod. Her eyes narrowed at the unusual sight of a few young woman she didn't recognise standing on the sidelines. "Who are they?"

"Sisters, cousins, friends." Kim shrugged a shoulder. "All it takes is one of them to mention there's a new, good looking player on the team who appears to be single if a lack of significant other at these matches goes for anything and word spreads like wildfire."

"He has a fan club?" Jess asked, wondering if she felt jealous or amused by the idea. Deciding she felt more amused – _he_ would be too embarrassed for her to be jealous – she smiled wickedly. "Oh, I can't wait to tell him that."

"Tell him?" It was Kim's turn to look surprised, her eyebrows lifting. "Oh, has Mark introduced you two already?"

"No." Jess shook her head, smiling at the thought. "I already know him. We work together." And god help her if that didn't make her feel just a little bit smug. "I didn't know he played rugby, though. And especially not rugby with my brother."

"Ooh." Kim smiled again, her eyes lighting up. "So he doesn't know you're here?"

"Mark or Becker?" Jess asked. "The answer's yes for one and no for the other." She shrugged. "Jill's not feeling well this morning so I volunteered to bring Johnny. Or was volunteered." She shrugged a shoulder. "I'm still not sure what exactly happened there."

"Jill can be very persuasive when she wants to be." Kim nodded wisely. "So getting back to _Becker_. You know him?"

Jess nodded. "I do."

"How well?" The suggestion was clear, even without the waggle of eyebrows that made Jess laugh out load. "C'mon, Jess, put me out of my misery. Or at least let me put them," she continued, jerking her head at the rugby groupies on the sidelines, "out of theirs."

She thought about before answering; how well did she know Becker? Well enough to know he hid a lot under his carefully blank exterior, that he felt things deeply even though he didn't show it... She knew how it felt to be held close to him, to be carried around by him, to hear his heartbeat beneath her ear even as her own was starting to fade...

"Well enough," she answered eventually, shrugging a shoulder. She felt a bubble of anticipation as the match drew to a close and her brother – and Becker's – side was declared the victors much to the joy of the supporters gathered on their side of the pitch. "Well enough."

Barely noticing Kim excuse herself to visit to rugby ground's facilities, Jess watched as her brother, Mark, exchanged back pats and one-armed hugs with his teammates, watched as he saved Becker till last and the pair of them grinned like fools as they shared a manly hug and congratulated each other on a game well played.

She watched as Mark said something to Becker, and his grin dropped momentarily before he looked in the direction her brother had motioned and stopped mid-step.

And then the grin was back, much to Mark's bewilderment, and Becker arched an eyebrow at her as he crossed the field with her brother towards the sidelines.

"Daddy!" Johnny spoke up before either man could, lifting his arms to his father as Jess and Becker exchanged a smile. "You were _'mazing_! I wanna play on the team! Can I play? I'd be a good player!"

"When you're a bit bigger, short stuff." Mark grinned at his son and scooped him up easily, balancing on his hip as he turned his attention to his baby sister and his teammate. "I'm glad Jill convinced you to come, Jessie. I wanted to introduce you to someone. This is..."

"Becker, I know." Jess rolled her eyes at her brother's not very subtle attempt at matchmaking her – not for the first time – with one of his teammates. "You can save the spiel, Mark. We've already met."

"You have?" Mark, surprised, looked at Becker for confirmation. "You know Jessie?"

"I know Jess," Becker corrected with a shrug, but his gaze was drawn back to Jess. "We work together."

"Oh." Mark clearly couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing as he glanced between them. Sensing something but not sure what, he frowned. "So."

"So?" Jess, tearing her own gaze from Becker, smiled innocently at her brother. "I thought I told you no more trying to set me up with your teammates."

Mark shrugged, but at least had the decently to look sheepish. "It's not a set up, exactly."

"Isn't it?" Becker asked drily, smirking at his teammate's discomfort. "You've been dropping comments about this sister of yours into conversation for weeks."

"Really?" Jess couldn't decide whether to laugh or glare at her brother. " _Mark_!"

"I didn't know you knew each other!" Her brother argued weakly in his defence. "But since you do... Awkward." He shrugged. "Sorry."

Jess felt Becker staring at her but couldn't bring herself to look back at him. Her earlier confidence began to ebb as she started to feel the way her brother had described: awkward.

"As it happens," Becker started, causing her to look up at him, "if you still need me to drop your sister back at her place, that's fine. At least I know the way," he added with a shrug and a smile at Jess, who found herself smiling back despite the blush she could feel blossom in her cheeks.

"Right." Mark, missing the look exchanged by the pair, sounded disappointed. "Well, I suppose we should get back home, Johnny. Mummy will be missing us."

The father and son duo said their goodbyes, with the latter waving enthusiastically at his favourite auntie as he was carried away.

"You don't really need to take me home," Jess said to Becker when her brother was out of earshot. "Kim and her husband are here – or were. You probably know Gavin from the team. They don't live too far away so –"

"I'll take you home, Jess." The tone brokered no arguments. Becker stared at her, seemingly oblivious to the members of his fan club watching from a short distance away.

"If you're sure?" She couldn't help but asking, throwing a not-so-subtle glance at the gaggle of females waiting for him to notice them. "Because if there's someone you want to stay and talk to..."

Becker's dark eyes never strayed from her. The fan club went unnoticed, much to their disappointment. "The only person I see is you," he told her quietly, and it suddenly felt like they were talking about something a lot more serious than a lift home.

Jess drew in a breath and then smiled, the butterflies in her stomach fluttering overtime as she did. "Then I would be pleased if you could take me home. Thank you."

Becker smiled then, and the butterflies took flight. "Good." He held out an arm for her and she took it, aware of the envious and disappointed glares being thrown in her direction but unable to bring herself to care.

She waved cheerily at Kim, who stood with her husband, grinning even as Gavin looked entirely perplexed, and let Becker lead her away.

* * *

 _(There's a line in this I may end up using in an original work. Just so you know I'm not plagiarising myself :))_


	15. The one with the mugging

_The one with the mugging..._

* * *

There were some phone calls he never wanted to receive, and some he hadn't known he never wanted to receive until he had. The call from Connor just before midnight on his day off fell under the latter category.

Becker heard the words 'Jess and 'hospital' and his brain stopped registering the rest. He threw on some clothes and grabbed his keys, forgetting his jacket in his haste. Getting to the hospital, certain he'd broken one or two or five speed limits on the way, he found Connor pacing the waiting room floor.

"Where is she? What happened?" Becker knew his voice was gruff, the questions sounding more like demands, but he couldn't find it in himself to stop. "How is she?"

"I don't know. She's with the doctors. Abby's with her." Connor didn't seem to mind the demands but then he looked distracted. Pale. Unfocused. "She... I don't know how she is. She looked..." His voice trailed off and his pale cheeks grew even paler as he met Becker's gaze with eyes that were lost. "She looked terrible," he admitted. "There was blood..."

Biting back both his temper and the churning in his stomach at Connor's description, Becker realised Connor was reacting just as strongly albeit in a different way to himself. "Sit down." He led Connor to some empty seas and all but forced the other man to sit down. "Take a few deep breaths, Connor, then talk me through what you know."

While Connor was composing himself, they were joined by Matt, Emily and Lester. The first two Becker wasn't surprised about; they were a close knit team and even outside of work, if one of them was hurt or ill, the rest of them would rally round. Lester's arrival was both a surprise and not; it was no secret he cared for Jess – he cared for them all, really, but prided himself on pretending he didn't.

Calming either because of his audience or in spite of them, Connor clutched the Styrofoam cup of tea Emily had insisted she get for him and explained what had happened as far as he knew.

"Jess was out with some mates, one of their birthdays. They got separated or Jess decided she'd had enough and wanted to go home so she went on her own to find a taxi. She was waiting in line from what we were told. Then out of the blue this bloke came up to her, tried to snatch her bag. I think she fought him or tried to. The police said she resisted, whatever that means. Problem being he had a mate who got in on it. A witness said after Jess was pushed over, one of them kicked her and called her a bitch. She hit her head on the curb or something." Connor looked pained, his jaw clenching. "Why the bloody witness didn't stop them, I don't know. Sounds like whoever it was watched till it was safe and then got closer."

Becker's temper spiked at that but he fought it down. He looked up from Connor to see a furious expression momentarily arrange Lester's features while Matt's hands had clenched into fists at his sides.

"How did you know she was hurt?" Emily asked, careful to keep her voice soothing despite her own concern as she sat beside Connor. "Did Jess call you?"

"No." Connor shook his head, and Becker noticed his hand tighten around his cup. "She was unconscious for a bit. Her phone wasn't in her bag, it must've been in her jacket or pocket or something. Someone found Abby's number, said it was the first entry or something, so they called her and we went straight away. We got there before the ambulance so Abby came with Jess to the hospital and I followed in our car."

"Was she still unconscious?" Lester asked briskly, doing his best not to sound worried but, to Becker's ear, failing in his efforts. "Did she speak to you?"

"She woke up a bit but she was out of it. There was blood where she'd hit her head." Connor broke off and swallowed hard. "Head injuries do that, though, yeah? They bleed a lot but it doesn't mean... It doesn't mean it's something really serious, does it?"

Quite who he was asking, Becker wasn't sure. Unfortunately, none of them were in a position to give him the reassurance he needed.

"Where's Abby now?" Matt said instead, scanning the waiting room for the blond. "Is she still with Jess?"

"I think so. I've not seen her since I got here. They won't tell me anything, just to wait." Connor glared at the busy admissions desk but there was no heat behind it. "She's got to be okay, though. They wouldn't let Abby stay with her if she wasn't."

As if conjured by the mention, Abby appeared in the hallway. Her eyes were dull and suspiciously red. Connor stood as she approached and held open his arms to her, which she readily sank into as she sighed.

"Abby?" Becker broke the moment when no one else did. "How is she..?"

Abby lifted her head from Connor's shoulder to look at him. Though clearly exhausted, she managed a strained smile. "She's going to be okay." The group seemed to exhale a collective breath but Becker couldn't relax. He knew he wouldn't until he'd seen it for himself. "It's... They're monitoring her, keeping her in for a few days. She hit her head hard enough for them to worry about concussion and they think her ribs are bruised from the kick. It's not pretty," Abby said with brutal honesty. "She doesn't look like Jess. There's a lot of bruising and swelling and she got all teary when she woke up and was talking to me about it."

"Can we see her?" Emily stood from her seat but immediately reached for Matt's arm to steady herself as though unsure her legs would support her.

Jess mattered, Becker realised. To all of them, she mattered. She was the heart of their team, the unlikely glue that held them together. Whether they saw her as a little sister, a daughter, a friend or something else entirely, it didn't matter. She mattered, and despite how dangerous their jobs were, despite knowing how fleeting life could be, how fragile, it'd shaken them all to know they could have lost her so quickly and for no reason at all.

"The police are with her now. The nurse said I should come and let Con know, maybe call a few people but you're already here so..." She shrugged a shoulder and leaned against her fiancé. "We need to get her some things. Some clothes. She should be comfortable while she's here."

"We can go and get her some things," Emily volunteered, needing to do something useful. "May we use your key?"

Abby broke away from Connor to give Emily the key she still had from her days living with the Field Co-ordinator. "They said once the police are done, someone can sit with her overnight. No more than two at a time, though. They're very strict about that. And Jess..." Abby hesitated for a moment. "When I told her I'd call to let you all know what had happened, she told me to tell you not to come in. I think she's embarrassed, and doesn't want you seeing her the way she looks right now..."

Though she addressed all of them, Becker noticed her gaze strayed to him more often than not. Years of practice helped him keep his features schooled in a neutral expression while on the inside he was determined he'd be claiming one of the seats at Jess's side no matter whether she wanted him to or not.

#

She fell asleep and wasn't aware of the police she'd been giving her statement to leaving. She remembered them assuring her they'd do everything they could to locate her missing bag, though seemed relieved when she said it only had cash and a lipstick in it as her phone had been in her jacket and was now in Abby's possession while she'd left her cards at home... but that was the last she could recall of seeing either of the officers who'd come to talk to her.

During the night, she remembered waking twice. Once was when a nurse came to check her vital signs and apologised for needing to shine a light in her eyes, and the second time was when one of the visitor's chairs had been pushed back against the floor a little too noisily – whoever had done it had been shushed and had apologised but she hadn't recognised the voice or been able to stay awake long enough to identify the other chair's occupant...

... though her medicated brain did make her think it was Becker, which was a nice thought to go to sleep with even if her rational mind knew it wasn't real.

When Jess woke for a third time, she lay in silence for a while, keeping her eyes closed as she tried to identify the cause of her waking.

Muffled voices gave her an answer but instead of letting them know she was awake, she decided to see if she could drift off again.

"Ms Maitland tells me you've been here all night." That was Lester, Jess recognised, which was unexpected but nice. "You should go home and get some rest. I know I said you could have the day off, barring emergencies, but I didn't expect you to spend every hour of that time off here."

"I'm not going anywhere, Lester. I'm fine." That was Becker. Definitely Becker. Surprise almost had her opening her eyes but Jess found she didn't want to in case she did and he disappeared.

"Your devotion is admirable, Captain, but I have to wonder."

"Wonder what?" She could hear the defensive tone in Becker's voice but still couldn't bring herself to open her eyes.

"I have to wonder how many more times we're going to have to come close to losing her before you admit you have feelings for the girl." Lester's tone was so blunt, so matter-of-fact, that Jess almost let them know she was awake. Fortunately for her, Lester hadn't noticed and seemed to be on a roll as he continued with only a small pause. "I thought perhaps you'd get a clue after the report of the beetle incident landed on my desk, particularly since I received a requisition from the Head of Medical for epi pens with a note that it had been your strong suggestion that made her do so. But no. And then there was our unwelcome visit from more of those bloody predators, with Jess insisting you'd be on your way as soon as you got her message and lo and behold you were... and then nothing. I wouldn't blame the girl for being confused as to your intentions, Captain. I know I certainly am."

There was a long silence, and then the sound of a chair being pushed back. Jess almost opened her eyes, convinced it was Becker leaving because of Lester's rant but then Lester spoke again and she held herself still.

"I understand your reasons, Becker," Lester said softly, gently. "I know if you let people in, there's a chance they're going to hurt you but surely it's a kindness to both of you to take the risk and make the most of what little time in this life? Just think about it. For your sake as much as hers."

There was the sound of the door opening and closing and then silence.

Well, not quite silence. She could hear Becker breathing, which is how she knew he was still there, but other than that, it was silent. Other than her own breathing and the pounding of her heart, that was.

Jess lay still for as long as she could. When she started to feel restless and knew she couldn't keep up the act any longer, she let her eyelids flutter open. The groan she gave was involuntary as she closed her eyes again, the room a little too bright for her at first.

"Jess. Jessica?" It was the feel of his hand on hers that made her open her eyes again, that and the sensation of him leaning over her. "Are you okay? Do you need a nurse?"

The concern in his eyes made her smile, even as her aching body reminded her of the ordeal she'd been through. "I'm fine, I think." Mortified he was seeing her look very much less than her best but that couldn't be helped. "What are you doing here? I told Abby I didn't want a fuss."

"A fuss, Jessica?" Seemingly satisfied she wasn't in pain, Becker sat down again. In the chair nearest her side, she noted. His hand came to rest on the bed beside hers, his fingers twitching, but he didn't touch hers. Almost, but not quite. "We need to talk."

Her heart was in her throat but she told herself not to take his words and link them to the conversation she'd overheard. "Is this about me going off on my own when I'm out with friends? Because Abby already gave me that lecture. In fact, she said I wasn't allowed to go out without her in future, which is a little extreme. That said, I don't think I'll be going out again anytime soon." She grimaced at the thought.

"What about dinner? In a restaurant?" His fingers, which had been edging closer to hers, brushed her hand. Jess looked up at him, expecting him to be looking anywhere but her but soon found herself caught by his gaze. "If I promise I'll pick you up from your door and get you back home safely at the end of the night?"

Jess stared at him. She realised her mouth was open and closed it. Then she opened again and licked her lips. "Um."

"You can say no." The amusement in his voice was forced, the nerves he felt visible in his eyes. "I know I might've missed my chance."

"You haven't. I mean, I'd like to." She smiled ruefully and moved her fingers so they were more than brushing his. "This just isn't... Lying in a hospital bed having been beaten up for a knockoff handbag with only enough money to get me home isn't the scenario I pictured being the one where you'd ask me that. Though they did take my favourite red lipstick, and it's discontinued so I'll have to see if I can get some online somewhere but I'm always wary about getting makeup from eBay and ow. Pain." Jess grimaced, her ramblings cut short as her body reminded her once again of what it'd been through. "Maybe you should get that nurse now. I think I'm due some painkillers or something."

"Of course." He moved swiftly, concern clouding his face. Before he could disappear out of the door he'd opened, however, Jess called out his name, stopping him. He turned back to her, an eyebrow raised. "Yes?"

"Yes." She smiled at him, feeling her cheeks heat. "To the dinner in a restaurant."

Becker grinned, a rare sight but one she would treasure even if wasn't. "Good."

He left in search of a nurse and Jess closed her eyes once more.

* * *

End  
 _This time in two weeks, I'll be looking forward to two whole weeks of no work (except for nephew sitting!), no distracting Interwebs and hopefully lots of sunshine. SO... I know I have another 20 stories or so in this lil series to write but thought I'd open my PM's up to any Jess/Becker prompts you lovely people would like me to attempt while I'm free to do so. (Unless of course you'd just like to write as many of these one shots as possible while I'm away, in which case I can do that!)_

 _I'm feeling in a very Jess/Becker mode, and plan to watch a couple of my favourite Jecker episodes on the plane to get me in the mood!_


	16. The one with the set up (v3)

The one where Becker's men play matchmaker (or the one with the set up version 3)

* * *

Lieutenant Miller looked up discreetly at the sound of high heels clicking against the concrete floors. He glanced at Captain Becker, his superior, and stifled a sigh. Across the room, he noted two of the other soldiers rolling their eyes and exchanging whispers too low for the Captain or his Second-in-Command to catch.

It was the same routine every day and it was starting to get old.

Jess Parker, the ARC Field Co-ordinator, would dutifully deliver the files Lester, their boss, needed the military leader to review.

Captain Becker would await her visit, which was so on time that they could almost set their watches to, standing in front of one of the workbenches taking apart and reassembling a perfectly working EMD just so he could look busy when she got there.

He'd tense at the sound of her footsteps but that would be the only external sign that he knew her arrival was imminent, and then he'd wait until she spoke before turning around and act surprised to see her there – as if he couldn't hear her heels on the floor and wasn't counting down in his head till she reached the armoury.

It was how the Captain acted after that that frustrated Miller and the rest of the men the most. He'd be perfectly polite to Jess, of course, but civil. Almost coolly so. And the little smile on her face would dim and she'd start to babble and get flustered and then make her excuses to flee...

... And the Captain would watch after her for a moment or two, before snapping back to reality and realising he could have an audience, but that look on his face, the wistful expression and blatant longing...

They were both as bad as each other, both miserable, and Miller, for one, was sick of it.

It was time to do something...

* * *

Three weeks and two failed attempts later...

#

Becker glanced at the clock again, his eyes narrowing and jaw clenching.

Jess was late.

She was _never_ late.

The armoury was quiet, almost strangely so, which meant there was no noise to cover the silence he could hear instead of the click-clack of heels as she walked from the lift to the armoury, arms full of files Lester insisted he review on a daily basis but couldn't be bothered to bring himself.

Not that there was anything stopping Becker from going to get them himself, he supposed, but he knew Jess liked the excuse - to get away from the ADD and stretch her legs, of course, not to see him or anything.

He wondered if something had happened, perhaps some kind of emergency, but dismissed the idea as surely if something had, he, as Head of Security, would've been told about it. Still, if Jess didn't materialise in a little while it was worth checking out just to be on the safe side –

\- and there it was. The sound he'd been waiting for.

Jess's heels on the floor.

Becker dipped his head until he was sure he had control of the relieved grin that had broken across his face, looking up only when he sensed she'd arrived.

The puzzled look on her face surprised him.

"I've just had the weirdest conversation with Lieutenant Miller," Jess started, before he could ask her what was wrong. She glanced over her shoulder as she stepped into the room, as if expecting the absent soldier to appear. "He asked me about shoes."

"Shoes?" Becker gave her a sceptical look. "Are you sure?"

"Oh, I'm sure." She shook her head, her frown deepening. "He stopped me at the lifts to talk about shoes, and different size heels. It was like he was trying to distract me for some reason but I have no idea –"

Before she could finish speaking, the klaxons started to sound. The red lights indicating an emergency started to flash.

They both turned to the door, instinct driving them towards Ops and the Hub and the ADD...

... Only to find the heavy steel doors had almost closed.

"What the -?"

"What?"

They looked at the doors, looked at each other, and then looked at the doors again. In almost perfect unison, they reached up to activate their comm links.

"Sorry. Sorry! There's been some kind of... glitch. Yeah, a glitch." Connor sounded sheepish. "Different areas of the building have gone into lockdown but yeah, there's no emergency, no. Everything's fine. Sorry."

"It's all under control, Captain," Lieutenant Miller sounded as calm and collected as ever. Miles away, Jess, thought as she listened in, from the flustered man who'd been interrogating her about shoes under the guise of possibly buying a pair for his girlfriend who, he admitted after Jess asked a few questions of her own, had never shown an interest in footwear and whose shoe size he didn't know. "It may take a while to sort out so you and Miss Parker should just sit tight."

"Right." Becker frowned as he closed the connection. He looked at Jess until she did the same thing with a sigh. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"That it's a strange coincidence that Miller delayed me long enough to make sure I got stuck here with you?" Jess looked around, rolling her eyes when she realised they were alone. "And that there's not one other person here."

Becker felt his ears grow hot and bit back a curse. "I'm sorry, Jess."

"What for? I'm guessing you had nothing to do with it." With a sigh that was almost dejected, Jess made her way over to one of the work benches and hoisted herself up, crossing her legs at the ankles. "Maybe you should tell them to stop with the set up attempts?"

He winced; it wasn't a conversation he was looking forward to having. "I'm sorry," he said again, joining her at the workbench. "I don't know why they've started doing this now."

Jess sighed again but didn't speak for a while. The klaxons stopped but the room was still on limited lighting. She glanced up the security camera in the corner of the room, knowing there'd be a rapt audience on the other side of the feed. "You'd think they'd try to be subtle about it," she started, almost conversationally. "And you think they'd be smart enough to know they can't mess around with my systems without me knowing, or your security without you knowing."

"You'd think," Becker agreed. "But then maybe they're not as smart as we give them credit for. And maybe they have too much time on their hands so I should plan some extra drills."

She smiled at that. "Sounds like a good idea to me."

They lapsed into silence for a few minutes, sitting side by side bathed in a red glow.

"I am sorry," he said after a while, staring at his hands. "I'll tell them to stop. They shouldn't be making you uncomfortable –"

She laughed, a little humourlessly. "It's not that that bothers me, Becker." She shook her head when he looked at her. "Never mind."

"No, tell me." He turned slightly to face her. "Jessica."

She rolled her eyes but wouldn't look at him. "It bothers me because they should know by now that it's just not going to happen. You're not interested in me in that way and that's okay. It's also blatantly obvious so I don't get why they keep trying to force something that isn't going to happen –"

"You think I'm not interested?"

"It's pretty obvious."

They were silent again. Becker stared at Jess while she looked anywhere but at him. Even when she sensed him get up from the workbench, she refused to look at him.

Until he was standing right in front of her, his hand on her cheek, gently tilting her head upwards so she had no choice.

"Becker..?"

He didn't answer with words, choosing to kiss her instead.

The lights returned to normal and the doors released, but neither of them noticed as Jess wrapped her arms around his neck, and Becker wrapped one arm around her to keep her close, bracing himself on the workbench with the other.

After a long while, the couple parted, staring at each other with flushed cheeks.

"So."

"I'm interested, Jessica. I've always been interested." Letting his forehead rest against hers, Becker prayed silently that his men would see sense and stay clear of the armoury for a little while longer. "Why don't we get out of here and talk about it somewhere we know we're not being watched? I know the cameras don't have sound –"

"But the walls have eyes so-to-speak," Jess finished for him. She gave him a small, shy smile and nodded. Letting him help her down from the bench, she blushed when he refused to relinquish her hand.

* * *

Watching from the Hub, Lieutenant Miller, Connor and their co-conspirators exchanged triumphant grins as the couple disappeared from view.

* * *

End.


	17. The one with the holiday

_The one with the holiday  
(prompt by PrimevalYank, though goes a different direction as these things usually do with me!)  
Written back in August while on holiday. Oh, how nice and relaxed things were then...! Any typos can be blamed on me hurriedly typing this on my laptop and not having time to double check. Sorry!_

#

Jess Parker was not used to doing nothing. She was used to being kept busy, her clever mind actively working on several tasks and solving multiple problems all at the same time, fingers flying over the keyboards usually in front of her as she listened intently to the voices in her ear updating her on various different things at various different points of the day.

She sat at the table on the outside veranda of the bar, a nearly finished cocktail in front of her and listened. Conversations in various languages were murmured from the other tables and seats at the bar but she wasn't close enough to try and decipher the words. She drummed her fingers on the table top in a silent rhythm, waiting.

God, she hated waiting.

A frown marred her brow as she glanced at her phone again – the only way she had of keeping track of the time since her cousin had confiscated her watch at Heathrow Airport, claiming it would leave an unattractive tan line.

Her cousin, the person she was waiting for, was late.

Again.

Stifling a sigh, she reached for her glass, taking a measured sip of the fruity drink through the straw. The pretty, sparkly decorations that had adorned the drink had been discarded and sat on the table next to the phone, waiting to be taken back to her room and stored away with the other holiday souvenirs she'd take back with her and store in a scrapbook along with a select few photos she chose to get printed from the very many she had on her phone.

Deciding it was as good a time as ever to start culling said photographs, she picked up her phone and started scrolling through the camera roll.

She'd barely started when a shadow loomed over her table and she looked up, hopes of seeing her cousin dashed when she saw one of the two Irish owners of the bar instead.

"Another drink, Jess?" Colin gave her a friendly smile. There was no smarm in it, no attempt at flirting, which she appreciated.

It was stereotypical to say Brits abroad flocked to the very many Irish bars and British pubs that cropped up in sunny seaside tourist resorts but for Jess, she'd discovered she felt safer there than in any of the other bars within walking distance of their rented villa.

She was on a first name basis with most of the staff now, who sympathised with the young English woman who'd been all but abandoned by the cousin who'd talked her into going on holiday in the first place. They looked out for her, too, so if any of their patrons tried to get a little too friendly, Jess could be assured that it wouldn't be too long before someone intervened.

Eyeing up the Woo Woo in front of her, then glancing at the time again, Jess sighed and nodded. "Might as well since it looks like I'm here for the night again. Thank you, Colin."

"Not a problem, darlin'." He flashed her another smile and headed back to the bar, collecting some empty glasses from a nearby table on his way.

Stifling another sigh, Jess went back to reviewing and deleting her holiday snaps, willing her cousin to surprise her and appear.

#

He was getting too old for lads' holidays abroad. Specifically, the ones of a stag do variety. It was his brother getting married this time, though, so Becker hadn't really felt able to decline the invitation, not when he'd been enlisted as Best Man at the upcoming event.

At least he could be assured that the team wouldn't be getting into too much trouble without him. Both Abby and Connor had requested they be taken off the field team for the weeks leading up to their own wedding, which meant they should be relatively safe in their respective departments. Matt and Emily were working alongside a team of Becker's men, handpicked by the Captain himself, should they be called upon to deal with any anomalies and his second-in-command, Miller, was a fine soldier who could keep the others in check at least for the week. Jess was on holiday herself, Becker knew, so he could relax in the knowledge that she would fall prey to any beetle incursions or future predator attacks in his absence.

But still. He was getting too old to spend his nights drinking until the early hours, moving from one bar to the next in search of the cheapest beers and extended happy hours. Sleeping till noon didn't suit him, unlike his travel companions, so Becker felt he struggled to keep with their night time antics.

"Hurry up, Hil!" His brother called out, disturbing him from his thoughts. He looked up and realised he was trailing behind the group of five. "We've got ten minutes before happy hour ends at the Irish place!"

"Which Irish place?" Becker muttered but not loud enough for anyone to hear or answer. There were four places his brother could mean and two of them were rowdy and usually packed with very merry people who got louder with every pint. All he wanted was a quiet place to sit and enjoy a cold beer but that, he knew, wasn't on the agenda.

He caught up with the others and followed them along the sandy promenade to the pocket of beach front bars, restaurants and cafes. At least there was a nice breeze coming off the sea now, and the -sun's heat was no longer as oppressive as it had been during his mid-morning run before the others had woken up.

"What'll it be, lads?" The Irish accent reminded him of Matt, which in turn reminded him of home and the ARC.

As his brother ordered beers all round, Becker did his usual check over of the place. Once a soldier, always a soldier, and he could never fully relax anywhere unless he knew where all of the exits ad entries were.

The bar was busy but not overly so. His brother and friends were the rowdiest group there by far, having started drinking earlier in the afternoon with a few drinks around the pool at their hotel. There was an outdoor area overlooking the beach that looked nice and shady and Becker was in the middle of figuring out how to get the group outside and away from the flat screen TV currently showing a football match when he saw her.

Jess.

She sat alone at a table, an empty cocktail glass in front of her and a full one just beside it. She had sunglasses on and a short summery dress that bared her shoulders so he could see more of her than he was used to.

Someone moved in front of him, jostling for a place at the bar and obscuring her from view. When he could see her again, Jess was no longer alone, looking up at some bloke who'd come to a stop beside her table.

Was that who she was on holiday with? Becker wondered, a stab of jealousy taking him not be surprise but catching him off guard. He could've sworn he'd heard her say she was going away with her cousin but maybe he'd misheard and she was going away with someone else? A boyfriend?

Their server glanced over in the same direction, Becker noted when he managed to look away, and frowned.

"Our girl needs rescuing again, Dunc," he called out to another man busy serving at the other end of the bar.

The other man, Dunc, followed his gaze and sighed. "Poor girl. Her cousin should be ashamed. I'll just finish here and go over."

Since neither man looked like they'd be in a position to actually leave the bar anytime soon as the queue of people waiting to be served grew and a glance back at Jess showed she was beginning to look uncomfortable, her smile strained rather than polite, Becker took up the duty himself.

He strode to her table and cleared his throat to get both her attention and that of the drunk unsuccessfully hitting on her.

"Sorry I'm late, Jess. There was a queue at the cash point."

Jess covered her surprise at seeing him with a smile, falling in line with the cover story. "Oh, it's okay. This gentleman was just keeping me company till you came back. I told you I was waiting for someone, didn't I?"

This was aimed at the drunk, who gave Becker a rather disgruntled look and muttered something under his breath before stumbling away towards his sniggering mates.

"You're going to have to sit down now, I'm afraid," Jess told Becker rather apologetically. "Just for a few minutes if you don't mind. They'll be moving on to the next place soon."

He sat without protest, then wondered awkwardly if he should get himself a drink so it didn't look like she was drinking alone – or that he was drinking one of the girly cocktails she clearly preferred.

A pint was put down on the table in front of him and he looked up to see the man who'd been serving his brother. "All right, Jess?" The man asked, raising his eyebrow in an unspoken question.

"Fine, thank you, Colin." Jess smiled at him and Becker resisted the urge to scowl. "We know each other, it's okay. Becker's one of the good guys."

"Aye, I thought as much." Colin nodded, his smile for Becker growing more friendly. "Nice rescue there. This drink's on me." Becker started to protest but Colin shook his head. "No, no. You helped us out. We don't tolerate drunks harassing our patrons and Jess here is one of special regulars."

Jess huffed a laugh and shook her head. "You've all taken pity on me, you mean. My cousin ran into older university friends at the airport when we arrived," she explained for Becker's benefit. "I've been left to be own devices pretty much ever since we got here. Colin and Duncan and the others have been looking out for me so I can at least come here for the evening instead of spending the night at the villa drinking on my own."

"Then I should maybe be buying you all a drink," Becker said to Colin, who laughed and murmured he'd hold Becker to that before heading back to the busy bar. "If I'd known you were here, we could've arranged to meet up."

Jess blushed but shook her head. "I'm sure you've got better things to do than keep me company, Becker. It's your brothers stag do, isn't it?"

"Yes." Becker glanced over at the bar to see his brother and his friends nudging each other and giving him the thumbs up. "But it's not really my thing and I'm largely left on my own, too, until they recover from their hangovers early afternoon and start it all again."

Jess laughed but her smile was sympathetic. "Kind of makes you wonder if you're waiting your annual leave, doesn't it? Not that we don't get enough but the chance to take more than a day or two at a time is rare."

"Lester doesn't seem keen on approving our requests," Becker agreed with a smirk. "Can't think why."

She laughed again, both having head Lester's rant about people taking time off and leaving the ARC short staffed just on the off chance that there was another convergence event. It was mostly harmless grumbling as he knew they'd all drop everything and return to their positions if the situation was dire enough to call for it.

"If you're at a loose end in the mornings, feel free to give me a call or send a text. We're rending a place not too far from here and like I say, I've been on my own since we got here. I think Francesca's all but moved in with her friends as there's next to nothing of hers left there now but she seems to have forgotten to tell me."

"Our hotel's not far from here, either." Becker sipped his beer and smiled. For the first time all week, he started to relax. "At the risk of sounding like a cliché, do you come here often? The bar?"

"If I say every night so far this week, will you think I'm a closet alcoholic?" Jess smiled self-consciously. "I usually fix myself something to eat and then come here for an hour or so for the company. I had arranged to meet Francesca here tonight for a drink but she's a no show. She sent a message to say they're on the other side of the island after a boat trip and won't be back till late so maybe she can stop by tomorrow."

Becker frowned again, his relaxed mood disappearing at the thought of Jess spending so much time on her own. "So what about overnight? She's not been coming back then?" The way Jess hesitated said it all. "Jessica. You're staying in a strange place on your own at night? At least tell me there's good security at your resort?"

"IT's not a resort as such. It's a self-catering villa; we rented it direct form the owners." She shrugged a shoulder but wouldn't meet his eyes as she fidgeted with the tinsel topped cocktail stick she'd removed from her drink. "It's fine. It's a safe area. I checked all of the reviews and the crime statistics before we got here."

"Reviews and crime statistics don't account for the people who are staying here now." The thought of one of her drunken admirers not taking the hint and following her home one night filled him with dread. "You're not staying there by yourself."

"I think you'll find I am. I'm a big girl, Captain. I can take care of myself."

"You can, yes, but you shouldn't have to. We might be able to get you a room at the hotel. I doubt it's fully booked since it's outside of school holidays." It had been one of the reasons his brother had managed to get such a good deal for his stag do – and how they could get away with drinking by the pool most of the afternoon. "Finish your drink and we'll go and see."

"No, Becker." Jess rolled her eyes but smiled softly. "I've shelled out enough on my share of the villa. I'm not throwing that money away or shelling out for a room for the next four days. They'd probably want to charge a premium rate with it not being a full week, too. I appreciate the thought, and the offer, but I'd rather stay where I am."

Becker was silent for a while, mulling it over. Four days, he thought, working out that Jess would be flying home the same day he was, maybe even on the same flight, which would make sense as they were both due back at work on the Monday. He could understand her reluctance to spend money moving into a hotel when she had a perfectly good villa at her disposal but he wasn't willing to let her stay there alone.

"How many bedrooms are there at your villa?" He asked quietly.

"Two." Her brow furrowed. "I moved into the biggest one when I realised Francesca wasn't using it."

"Would your cousin object to me moving in to the second one if she's not using it?" He was studying her for her reaction so caught her blush.

"She probably wouldn't object even if she was using it," Jess told him, and it was his turn to feel the heat rise in his cheeks. "You don't have to, though. You should be with your brother, celebrating his last holiday as an unmarried man."

Becker looked over to his brother and caught the speculative expression on his face. "I'm sure he won't mind. He's here with his friends, not mine. Give me a sec."

He got up before Jess could argue, re-joining his brothers stag do. Ignoring the jibes and jokes from the others, he managed to get Andrew on his own and explain the situation. His brother listened, amused at first because of the coincidence that his baby brothers infamous Jess was also there but grew as concerned as Becker when he found out she was practically there alone. The Becker brothers shared the same protective streak when it came to people they cared about and Andrew quickly agreed to his brother's plan – with one stipulation.

Returning to the table as Andrew ushered his party out of the bar, Becker met Jess's curious gaze with a determined stare of his own.

"Andy agrees it's better for me to move in with you," he said, keeping it matter of fact so there was no room for embarrassment to creep in. "He's relieved me of Best Man duties for the rest of the week on the condition we meet him for dinner tomorrow night."

"We?" Jess arched an eyebrow. "Won't I be gate crashing?"

"Nope. He wants to meet you. Put a face to the name and all that." Becker hesitated, took a deep breath and then ploughed on. "He knows I was going to ask you to come with me to the wedding. Said this way he'd be able to meet you properly before the circus begins."

"Oh." Jess wasn't sure if she was more surprised that Becker's brother knew of her or that Becker was inviting her to the wedding. "That... That sounds... Okay."

"Okay? To the dinner, the me moving into the villa or the wedding?"

"All three." She smiled, smiling wider when he exhaled in relief. "Does this mean you're free to do things during the day, too? Just there's a couple of trips I'd like to do but the girl with the tour company advised me not to do them on my own."

"There's a couple I'd like to do, too, so we might as well make the most of the time we've got left here." Becker matched her smile, his relaxed mood returning.

They finished their drinks and said their goodbyes to Colin and Duncan, returning to Becker's hotel to move his things from the room he shared with Andrew to Jess's beach side villa.

#

The rest of the holiday flew by, and though there was no sign of her cousin, just a text message to say she'd see Jess at the airport, they both enjoyed it a lot more than they had been.

They went to the temple Jess had wanted to visit, and explored the caves Becker wanted to see. When they were mistaken for a couple time and time again, neither protested or corrected the person making the assumption. They took photos of each other, and had photos taken together, the latter of which Jess knew would definitely be included in her holiday scrapbook of mementos.

They visited the market Jess had been warned against going to on her own and after the first time someone got too close and too pushy, Becker took her hand on his and held it for the remainder of the trip.

Their evenings were spent either eating al fresco on the villa's patio or out at the local restaurants before a drink or two at the Irish bar on their way home. They then finished their evenings back on the patio, talking until the early hours or just sitting in silence, enjoying the company and the view.

Andrew met them for dinner twice, and joined them for a quiet drink whenever he needed a break from the rest of his group. He took great pleasure in telling Jess all about his little brother's younger years and the two were firm friends by the holidays end.

On their last night, they walked along the beach, quiet as all of the sun lovers had left when night had descended. When Jess stumbled, Becker took her hand to steady her and again didn't let go.

It was that night that they kissed for the first time, standing on the beach under the light of the moon with the tide lapping gentle at the bare feet. It felt natural, right, and reassured them both that their newfound closeness wouldn't end when their unplanned holiday together did.

#

End.  
 _Said it before. Will say it again. If anyone knows of a real life Becker, please send him my way :)_


	18. The one with the wedding (v2)

_The one with the wedding (version 2). Short and fluffy because that's what we need._

#

Asking the question was surprisingly easy. Becker tried to keep it casual, mentioning a couple of times that his cousin was getting married soon and he'd been invited. It was a big family affair, the first time in years they'd all be together – his cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, sisters and brother. He was quite looking forward to it and had said so to Jess and the others on numerous occasions since the topic of weddings was often brought up due to Abby and Connor's wedding having finally taken place.

He'd timed it perfectly, he thought, waiting until the aforementioned newlyweds had left on their two-week honeymoon so there would be no teasing about 'Action Man finally taking action'. (Matt had teased him enough without Connor's nicknames.)

It wasn't until the weekend before the wedding that he started to get nervous, when his younger sister had asked over a family WhatsApp conversation if he was bringing a date and he'd answered to say of course.

He hadn't had to tell them her name; they'd known it anyway.

Until then, Becker hadn't realised how often he must have mentioned Jess in conversation with his family. Oh, he mentioned the others, too, his friends from work, but there must've been something different in the way he talked about Jess because the group chat was suddenly a flurry of excited activity about how they couldn't wait to finally meet her in person.

Uh-oh.

His brother, Sid, chimed in to say it'd be nice to put a face to the name he'd heard so many times. His older sister, Katherine, immediately replied to say _she'd_ already seen Jess's face thanks to finding a picture on Becker's phone – of the team, he'd been quick to point out, at Abby and Connor's wedding – and was looking forward to speaking with her. His younger sister, Beth, had replied to say how excited she was to meet Becker's girlfriend, to which he'd replied that Jess wasn't his girlfriend.

It hadn't helped diffuse the situation as all of his siblings had simultaneously responded with 'yet' and various emoji's.

Even his parents got involved, though his father didn't participate in the group chat himself. His mother simply replied by saying that they were sure she'd be lovely and looked forward to Hilary introducing them at the wedding.

 _That_ was the moment he'd started to get nervous and decided that maybe a family wedding was the wisest venue for his first official date with Jess.

They'd gone to Abby and Connor's wedding together, danced there together, and it'd felt like a date in a lot of ways but not really because it had just happened; neither of them had asked the other, it had just been assumed that as Best Man and Maid of Honour, they'd keep each other company throughout the occasion.

This, however, was a date. A real date he'd asked her on, not quite twigging that his family would be invited to tag along, too.

Oops.

#

They loved her, as he'd known and hoped they would.

Sid had given him the double thumbs up sign behind Jess's back after he and his wife had monopolised the young woman in conversation on the church steps before the wedding. His sister-in-law had welcomed her to the madness that was a Becker family event, which had broken the ice and set Jess at ease, too, which was a bonus.

Katherine and Beth, having missed out on the chance to talk to her much before the ceremony, had insisted on sharing a car with them to the reception venue, much to their own partners' amusement as it meant they'd had to travel without their wife and girlfriend respectively. Becker had been afraid Jess was in for a grilling but she seemed to take it all in her stride and by the end of the relatively short journey was already friends with both of his sisters on Facebook.

That left just his parents to give Jess their seal of approval and there was no doubt in Becker's mind that they had. He'd only brought home one other girlfriend before, or at least introduced her to his family, and the reception she'd received seem arctic in comparison to the one that Jess managed to achieve.

Jess delighted his mother by complimenting her on her outfit, which launched a conversation neither Becker nor his father could keep up with about fashion and designers and ended up with the two woman planning a shopping trip in the near future – one Becker's sister and sister-in-law invited themselves along on when they found out about it.

His father was impressed by her intellect and grasp of politics and current affairs. It was during their debate about the Brexit and what it would mean for the country that Becker's mother took him to one side and told him what a lovely girl Jess was and how she'd very much like to see her again at future family gatherings.

As for Becker himself, he hadn't thought it possible to fall for her further but he did, as charmed by her as the rest of his family. He swept her into his arms on the dance floor, stealing her from his brother, who'd stolen her from their father, and looked down into her laughing eyes and flushed face and knew.

One day they'd be dancing at a wedding of their own.

"Are you having a good time?" He asked her quietly, drawing her closer as the tempo slowed.

"The best," Jess assured him with a blinding smile. "Thank you for inviting me, Becker. Your family are so lovely."

"They think you're lovely, too, and I can't say I disagree." Holding her gaze, he watched her blush and smiled softly. "Jess?"

"Becker?"

"Would it scare you off if I told you I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you?"

Her smile was beautiful, her eyes bright as she leaned up to whisper her reply. "Not unless it scares you to know I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you, too."

Since she was close enough, Becker closed the gap between them and kissed her. She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him back without hesitation, both entirely oblivious to the smiles and knowing looks of the people around them.

 _#_

 _End  
I've been neglecting Jess and Becker in lieu of original characters and for that, I apologise. I'm in the middle of a project I need to finish ASAP but once it's done, I'll hopefully be able to churn out a few more of these one-shots as I've got all 35 planned (plus a bonus one or two) and I'd love to get the series finished. Since I don't know if I'll be posting again before the end of the year, Happy Christmas/Seasons Greetings to you and yours - lets hope 2017 is a truly brilliant year! xx_


End file.
